Part 53 (1/2)

She turned slightly, lifting her eyes. There was a wonderful light in them, and yet a light that seemed to s.h.i.+ne from afar. ”Wouldn't that be rather soon?”

”It would give me time for all I want. Now that I'm here I'd better take a look at New York and Was.h.i.+ngton, and perhaps get a glimpse of your South. I could do that in three weeks.”

She seemed to have some difficulty in getting her mind to follow his words. ”I don't think I understand you.”

There was a smile on his lips as he said: ”Don't you infer anything?”

”If I _inferred_ anything, it would be that you think of going home--alone.”

”Well, that's it.”

She turned fully round. For a long minute they stood staring at each other. Time and experience seemed both to pa.s.s over them before she uttered the one word: ”Why?”

”Isn't it pretty nearly--self-evident?”

She shook her head. ”Not to me.”

”I'm surprised at that. I thought you would have seen how well we'd played our game, and that it's--up.”

”I don't see--not unless you're trying to tell me that you've--that your feelings have undergone a--”

He was still smiling rather mechanically, though he tugged nervously at the end of his horizontal mustache. ”Wouldn't it be possible--now that everything has turned out so--so beautifully--wouldn't it be possible to let the rest go without--without superfluous explanations?”

”I'm ready to do everything you like; but I can't help being surprised.”

”That must be because I've been more successful than I thought I was. I fancied that--when I saw how things were with you--you saw how they were with me--and that--”

”Saw how they were with you? Do you mean?--No, you can't mean!--it isn't--Drusilla?”

Since Drusilla would do as well as another, he still stood smiling. She clasped her hands. Her face was all aglow.

”Oh, I should be so glad! It's only within a few days that I've seen--how it was--with--”

He hastened to interrupt her, though he had no idea of what she was going to say. ”Then so long as you do see--”

”Oh yes; I--I begin to see. I'm afraid I've been very stupid. You've been so kind--so n.o.ble--when all the while--”

”We won't discuss that, what? We won't discuss each other at all. Even if you go your way and I go mine, we shall still be--”

He didn't finish, because she dropped again to the sofa, burying her face in the cus.h.i.+ons. It was the first time he had ever seen her give way to deep emotion. If he had not felt so strong to carry the thing through to the end, he would have been unnerved. As it was, he sat down beside her, bending over her bowed head. He made no attempt to touch her.

”I can't bear it,” he could hear her panting. ”I can't bear it.”

”What is it that you can't bear? The pain?” She nodded without raising her head.

”Or the happiness?” he asked, gently. She nodded again.

”That is,” he went on, ”pain for me--and happiness about--about--the other chap.”

She made the same mute sign of affirmation.