Volume VII - Modernist Magazines Project

294 The Web of Mayafor drink. Lily Le Mesurier, on the other hand, was spoken ofas the sweetest, the most long-suffering of God's creatures, amartyred angel, against whom, though she was young and pretty,no worse fault could be alleged than that she was " clever" andread " deep " books. A most devoted mother, it was only whenshe at last realised that she must not expose her child to the dailydegradation of his father's example, that she had finally determinedupon a step so inexpressibly painful to her feelings as aseparation.A few men shrugged their shoulders ; said they should like tohear Le Mesurier's side of the story ; but knew they would neverhear it, as he was much too proud to stoop to self-excusings.The Seigneur of Saint Maclou was among those whose sympathieswent with Le Mesurier. They had a club acquaintanceshipin Jersey. He welcomed him to Saint Maclou ; convertedthe " Barracks," as the cottages on Le Tas were called, into asingle house, more or less convenient ; and hoped that duringthe short time Le Mesurier would probably remain on the island,he would come often to the Seigneurie.The young man thanked him, sent over a little furniture, camehimself, with his guns and his fishing tackle, and took up hisresidence in the Barracks. But he went very seldom to theSeigneurie, where he ran the risk of meeting visitors from Jersey ;and when this had happened a second time, he went there no more.And he stayed on at Le Tas long after the reason he had givenfor his presence—that he had come for a holiday, to sketch, toshoot, to fish—had ceased to find credence. He stayed onthrough the autumn, through the winter, through the spring ; heneither fished, nor shot, nor painted ; he held no intercourse withanyone ; he lived entirely alone. The only person with whomhe ever exchanged a word was Monsieur Chauchat, the Frenchpastor.