Part 16 (2/2)
”Slihostly rout They trod a saraband: And the darotesques made arabesques, Like the wind upon the sand”
Each must have had his place in the drama, but the important question ho played the lead? Lukos or Lionel--honor and faith or
inclination? Yet that is hardly a fair way of putting it: sheat so more potent
Interest one may admit without qualification: Lionel had saved her life, was an attractive and pleasant young uest for a week Of course Beatrice was interested; she would have been hard or inhu so more? Could she honestly say in the stereotyped phrase that ”he was nothing to her?”--nothing being the antithesis of everything In that sense she could say it, for he was certainly not everything But was ”nothing” exact? Ah!
At least she must have found comfort in the reflection that she had sent hier, if successfully carried out She had beenweakonce or twice, but such a weaknessthe circumstances and the expiation Which of us, oh, censorious reader, would have been as strong as Beatrice?
Still, she could not sleep, and for the present that outweighed all ave up the unequal contest, dressed and went out for a short walk The air calained a respite fro an effort to eat soain about Lionel What was he like, the real man, the true Lionel? Was he a man to be trusted, a man to be relied on, the sort ofit were possible) to ht a smile, a blush and a frown to the face of Beatrice, and it is to be hoped that the shade of Lukos noticed the blush as well as the sht Beatrice with self-chastisement: ”besides ” Precisely! There are so many ”besideses” in real life
But undoubtedly, and without any disloyalty to shades, living or otherwise, he was the dearest of boys He had behaved extraordinarily well throughout--extraordinarily well, for actresses have unique opportunities of studying -roo the week of voluntary i tiresome, he was certainly the dearest of boys Human, too, and humanity was a quality that appealed to Beatrice; nor did he lack a sense of humor and romance But she had only known hi all the tiht with a disht to kno easy it can be to act What a fool I as!”
She threay the half-sesture and continued to worry The remembrance of Mizzi flashed across her mind--her prettiness and Lionel's evasive declarations These had been glib enough, no doubt, but glibness and dexterity were not sufficient to lull the suspicions of Beatrice ”He is aher apprehensions, ”and a bachelor What else could one expect? Of course, he ht have I to”
Her petulance increased with everyabout ten o'clock she feltelse Re that now she had no maid, she controlled herself and opened the door Her face cleared, for on the threshold stood a er
”Hullo, Ashford!” she said ”Colad you've co, a smartly-dressed uessed hie, for he had athe fact, and had a pleasant look of self-reliance without swagger He was tall and lean, as if he was accustoh an Auessed it fro which time he had studied to erase transatlantic idioe, had been croith almost complete success Only a stray word, a phrase occasionally, showed that he was not a native-born
”It's an early call, Miss Blair,” he said pleasantly as he followed her into the sitting-room ”Partly business and partly pleasure Which will you have first?”
”Oh, pleasure,” answered Beatrice carelessly: ”I'm tired of business
Will you se into the pleasure right away, though there's some business in it, too You know I'ht out if you're still in the sao?”
Beatrice made an irritated movement of her shoulders
”Oh, bother!” she answered ”Fancy calling at this hour to askHe did not appear at all excited, though his eyes gleaht over the new production, provincial tours and syndicates And you never seem to be at home at reasonable hours--I called twice last week, but Mizzi said you were out”
Beatrice blushed, and turned to theto hide the blush She reht I'd co ”Dear Miss Blair, I may not appear romantic or in earnest, but I am I'm a plain man and want toup altogether Is it any good?”
”Not a bit,” said Beatrice decisively ”Sorry, Ashford: I like you awfully, but not that way So you must take that as final”
”I will for the present,” he answered, looking gloohtened up ”But at the risk of offending I warn you that I e your mind In the American dictionary there's no such word as 'impossible'”
Beatrice was roused at this
”Look here, Ashford!” she said, biting her lip, ”don't you talk to ood, and I won't have it! You'll ed you, though I've always been fond of you in a friendly way”
”Then still there may----”