Part 3 (1/2)

”You understand, I hope,” she continued, ”that you have nothing whatever to look for from me in return for this sum which you propose to expend for my entertainment?”

”I understand that,” he replied.

”Not even grat.i.tude,” she persisted. ”I really do not feel grateful to you. You are probably doing this to gratify some selfish interest or curiosity. I warn you that I am quite incapable of any of the proper sentiments of life.”

”Your grat.i.tude would be of no value to me whatever,” he a.s.sured her.

She was still not wholly satisfied. His complete stolidity frustrated every effort she made to penetrate beneath the surface.

”If I believed,” she went on, ”that you were one of those men--the world is full of them, you know--who will help a woman with a reasonable appearance so long as it does not seriously interfere with their own comfort--”

”Your s.e.x has nothing whatever to do with it,” he interrupted. ”As to your appearance, I have not even considered it. I could not tell you whether you are beautiful or ugly--I am no judge of these matters. What I have done, I have done because it pleased me to do it.”

”Do you always do what pleases you?” she asked.

”Nearly always.”

She looked him over again attentively, with an interest obviously impersonal, a trifle supercilious.

”I suppose,” she remarked, ”you consider yourself one of the strong people of the world?”

”I do not know about that,” he answered. ”I do not often think about myself.”

”I mean,” she explained, ”that you are one of those people who struggle hard to get just what they want in life.”

His jaw suddenly tightened and she saw the likeness to Napoleon.

”I do more than struggle,” he affirmed, ”I succeed. If I make up my mind to do a thing, I do it; if I make up my mind to get a thing, I get it.

It means hard work sometimes, but that is all.”

For the first time, a really natural interest shone out of her eyes.

The half sulky contempt with which she had received his advances pa.s.sed away. She became at that moment a human being, self-forgetting, the heritage of her charms--for she really had a curious but very poignant attractiveness--suddenly evident. It was only a momentary lapse and it was entirely wasted. Not even one of the waiters happened to be looking that way, and Tavernake was thinking wholly of himself.

”It is a good deal to say--that,” she remarked, reflectively.

”It is a good deal but it is not too much,” he declared. ”Every man who takes life seriously should say it.”

Then she laughed--actually laughed--and he had a vision of flas.h.i.+ng white teeth, of a mouth breaking into pleasant curves, of dark mirth-lit eyes, l.u.s.treless no longer, provocative, inspiring. A vague impression as of something pleasant warmed his blood. It was a rare thing for him to be so stirred, but even then it was not sufficient to disturb the focus of his thoughts.

”Tell me,” she demanded, ”what do you do? What is your profession or work?”

”I am with a firm of auctioneers and estate agents,” he answered readily,--”Messrs. Dowling, Spence & Company the name is. Our offices are in Waterloo Place.”

”You find it interesting?”

”Of course,” he answered. ”Interesting? Why not? I work at it.”

”Are you a partner?”

”No,” he admitted. ”Six years ago I was a carpenter; then I became an errand boy in Mr. Dowling's office I had to learn the business, you see.