Will You Love Me in September

Lance saw that I was looking at the mouse, so he took it and with it a heart in pink marzipan decorated with lover's knots. He insisted on buying that as well, so we came away from the stall with the mouse and the heart.

He wanted to hear why I liked the mouse and I told him.

"Ah, yes," he said, "Hessenfield." And for the first time since I had known him he looked a little serious.

We went on through the fair. I wanted to stop time's passing. It was a magic morning and I was so happy to be there. I felt excited because I felt that anything could happen.

But as though fate were reminding me that it is not the way of life to give happiness all the time, I saw the hiring stall. I wished I had not passed that way as I looked at those sad people offering themselves for hire. They were people who had failed to find work in any other way. There was an old man who had desperation in his eyes and there was a girl of about my age. I felt it must be the ultimate humiliation to have to offer oneself in this way. There were others there too, some carrying the tools of their trade to tell prospective employers what they could do. I had never seen such expressions of mingled hope and desperation. Lance noticed my reaction, and taking my arm, gently turned me away from the hiring stall.

I walked very quietly, not seeing the stalls of pots and pans, the geese which had been cooked and were browning over a fire; I did hear the quack doctors shouting of the benefits and miracles performed by their pills for lucky purchasers. I could only think of the desperate expression in the eyes of the old man and the girl who could have been myself.

"You have a tender heart, little Clarissa," said Lance, "and you have a great gift for putting yourself in the place of others. It is rare. Keep it. It will make life richer and fuller for you.”

So there was, after all, a serious side to his nature, I reasoned, to talk like that and to mean what he said.

We came to the boxing booth.

"We'll go in here," said Lance, and I saw then that his seriousness had vanished.

An excitement seemed to grip him.

We were inside a large tent. In this a ring had been set up and two men fighting each other. There were forms on which we sat.

It was warm in the tent. I could see the sweat glistening on the bodies of the fighters, who were bare to the waist. I found it rather repulsive and would have liked to leave, but when I turned to Lance I saw the rapt expression on his face as he watched the men pummeling each other.

After what seemed a long time to me one was knocked down. The cheers shook the tent, and a man came forward and held up the victor's hand. He smiled at the crowd although there was blood on his forehead.

Now someone was calling out, "Place your bets!" and Lance rose and joined the people around a man who was seated at a table. Money was exchanged.

Then two men came out and began to fight. I found it all rather nauseating, but I could not take my eyes from Lance, who was clearly engrossed in what was taking place and seemed to have forgotten I was there. When the fight was over he shrugged his shoulders, and when I suggested we leave he reluctantly rose and we did so.

"You don't care much for the sport of kings," he said.

"I thought that was horse racing.”

"It depends on the king ... which he prefers, you see. I have not heard our noble George's likes in the matter.”

"What were you doing at the table? We had already paid to go in.”

"I was placing my bet.”

"Bet? What bet?”

"On the winner. It was a little gamble.”

"So you gambled on which one of those men would win?”

"Yes ... and on the wrong one." "So you lost some money.”

"Alas, I did.”

"Oh, dear, I hope not too much.”

"Five pounds.”

I was aghast. It seemed a great deal of money to me. "Five pounds. That is terrible.”

"Sweet Clarissa, to be so concerned. But think what would have happened if my man had won.”

"You would have got a lot of money then, I suppose.”

"Fifty, perhaps-fifty for five. Think of it. Wouldn't that have been wonderful?”

"But you lost.”

"Ah, but I might have won.”

I was silent. Then I said, "It was a great risk. And you lost.”

"That's what makes it exciting. If you knew you were going to win all the time, where would be the thrill?”

"It would be more thrilling surely to win all the time.”

"You haven't the gambler's spirit, I can see.”

I did not answer. A faint cloud had settled over the outing. I had been so gloriously happy. Then I had seen the hiring stall and now Lance had lost five pounds. These two events shadowed my morning.

It was time, in any case, to return to the inn. I was surprised to see that the man in the brown frieze coat was still there, for previously he had been making such a fuss about his horse's being ready in time.

Within a short while we were on the road again.

Intrigue