The Howling Beast by Noel Vindry

Author:Noel Vindry [Vindry, Noel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-06-23T04:00:00+00:00

remained fixed on me and I was unable to adopt a natural attitude.

‘At that moment I understood why Saint-Luce had sacrificed his life of adventure for her.

‘Happily, the arrival of Gustave Aranc put an end to the awkward situation. He’d reached the castle an hour before us and planned to stay as long as necessary.

‘Was it at that moment that I began to dislike Saint-Luce’s nephew? Or did I retroactively assign my later feelings to that first encounter? Probably the latter, for there was nothing to justify such antipathy at the time.

‘Aranc resembled his uncle, tall like him and with the same sharp features. The only difference was that he was blond, not brown-haired, which created a contradictory impression: he appeared less energetic than Saint-Luce—the Saint-Luce of yore, that is—but his eyes appeared harder.

‘He was very young-looking: one would not even have accorded him his proper age: twenty-six.

‘His welcome was cold but correct.

‘It was after dinner that he began to displease me. I had, quite naturally, started to talk to him about his adventures in Africa and mine in India. It was a subject which should have drawn us together as fellow hunters.

‘That wasn’t how it turned out. He responded, not coldly, but with indifference. I found none of the juvenile enthusiasm I expected.

‘I soon worked out the reason. It was not me he wished to talk to, but Sonia. He was sitting close to her and interspersing his replies to me with comments to her made in a low voice. The effect was to cut both Saint-Luce and me out of their conversation, no matter how banal. My old friend and I finished up by withdrawing to a spot near the window and talking amongst ourselves, just the two of us.

‘Saint-Luce appeared nervous and kept casting an eye in their direction. Knowing him as I did, I anticipated a sudden explosion.

‘It didn’t happen. And never more than on that evening, did I understand just how much my friend needed help.

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