Part 39 (1/2)

There was no answering smile in Vane's eyes.

”Well, I shouldn't like to disappoint her; but isn't it curious what effect some things have? A patch on Mopsy's canoe, for instance--and I've known a piece of cold pie carry with it a big obligation.”

The last was somewhat cryptic, and Evelyn looked at him with surprise, until it dawned on her that he had merely been half-consciously expressing a wandering thought aloud.

”I understood from Mrs. Nairn that you were away in the bush,” she said.

”That was the case; and I'm shortly going off again. Perhaps it's fortunate that I may be away some time. It will leave you more at ease.”

The last remark was more of a question than an a.s.sertion. Evelyn knew that the man could be direct; and she esteemed candor.

”No,” she answered; ”I shouldn't wish you to think that--and I shouldn't like to believe that I had anything to do with driving you away.”

Vane saw a faintly warmer tone show through the clear pallor of her skin, but while his heart beat faster than usual he recognized that she meant just what she said and nothing more. He must proceed with caution, and this, on the whole, was foreign to him. Shortly afterward he left her.

When he had gone, Evelyn sat thinking about him. She had shrunk from the man in rebellious alarm when her parents would have bestowed her hand on him; but even then, and undoubtedly afterward, she had felt that there was something in his nature which would have attracted her had she been willing to allow it to do so. Now, though he had said nothing to rouse it, the feeling had grown stronger. Then she remembered with a curious smile her father's indignation when Vane had withdrawn from the field. He had done this because she had appealed to his generosity, and she had been grateful to him; but, unreasonable as she admitted the faint resentment she was conscious of to be, the recollection of the fact that he had yielded to her wishes was somehow bitter.

In the meanwhile Carroll had taken his place by Jessy's side.

”I understand that you steered your comrade satisfactorily through the meeting to-day,” she began.

”No,” objected Carrol; ”I can't claim any credit for doing so. In matters of that kind Vane takes full control; and I'm willing to own that he drove us all, including your brother, on the course he chose.”

Jessy laughed good-humoredly.

”Then it's in other matters you exercise a little judicious pressure on the helm?”

The man looked at her in well-a.s.sumed admiration of her keenness.

”I don't know how you guessed it, but I suppose it's a fact. It's an open secret, however, that Vane's now and then unguardedly ingenuous; indeed, there are respects in which he's a babe by comparison with, we'll say, either of us.”

”That's rather a dubious compliment. By the way, what do you think of Miss Chisholm? I suppose you saw a good deal of her in England?”

Carroll's eyes twinkled.

”I spent a month or two in her company; so did Vane. I fancy she's rather like him in several ways; and there are reasons for believing that he thinks a good deal of her.”

Having watched Vane carefully when Evelyn came in, Jessy was inclined to agree with him. She glanced round the room. One or two people were moving about and the others were talking in little groups; but there was n.o.body very near, and she fancied that she and her companion were safe from interruption.

”What are some of the reasons?” she asked boldly.

Carroll had expected some question of this description, and had decided to answer it plainly. It seemed probable that Jessy would get the information out of him in one way or another, anyway; and he had also another reason, which he thought a commendable one. Jessy had obviously taken a certain interest in Vane, but it could not have gone very far as yet, and Vane did not reciprocate it. His comrade, however, was impulsive, while Jessy was calculating and clever; and Carroll foresaw that complications might follow any increase of friendliness between her and Vane. He thought it might be wise to warn her to leave Vane alone.

”Well,” he answered, ”since you have asked, I'll try to tell you.”

He proceeded to recount what had pa.s.sed at the Dene and Jessy listened, sitting perfectly still, with an expressionless face.

”So he gave her up--because he admired her?” she said at length.