The kingdom of the blind Author:Edward Phillips Oppenheim Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER HI A few rays of fugitive sunshine were brightening Piccadilly when Geraldine and her escort left the Ritz. The momentary depression occasioned by the... more » dramatic little episode of a few minutes ago, seemed already to have passed from the girl's manner. She walked on, humming to herself. As they paused to cross the road, she glanced as though involuntarily at her companion. His dark morning clothes and rather abstracted air created an atmosphere of sombreness about him of which she was suddenly conscious. " Hugh, why don't you wear uniform in town ? " she asked. "Why should I?" he replied. "After all, I am not really a fighting man, you see." It's so becoming," she sighed. He seemed to catch the reminiscent flash in her eyes as she looked down the street, and a shadow of foreboding clouded his mind. " You found Captain Granet interesting? " " Very," she assented heartily. " I think he is delightful, don't you? " " He certainly seems to be a most attractive type of young man," Thomson admitted. " And how wonderful to have had such adventures!" she continued. " Life has become so strange, though, during the last few months. To think that the only time I ever saw him before was at a polo match, and to-day we sit side by side in a restaurant, and, although he won't speak of them, one knows that he has had all manner of marvellous adventures. He was one of those who went straight from the playing fields to look for glory, wasn't he, Hugh? He made a hundred and thirty-two for Middlesex the day before war was declared." " That's the type of young soldier who's going to carry us through, if any one can," Major Thomson agreed cheerfully. She suddenly clutched at his arm. " Hugh," she exclaimed, pointing to a placard which a newsboy was carrying, " ...« less