Part 2 (1/2)

”Miss Clifford, for a merchant's daughter, and the sleeping partner in a great mercantile house, you appear to nourish very disrespectful ideas of accounts and the office desk,” said he, with revolting indifference. ”My brother would be shocked. I feel myself extremely flattered that my modest pen has had the power of awakening so much interest, and as to the disappointment, I do not give up the hope of at last succeeding in bringing you to a better opinion of my performances at the office desk.”

Jessie made no reply. She completely lost her self-control at this way of turning affront into compliment, and at the smiling calm with which the man[oe]uvre was carried out.

Fortunately at this moment the door opened, and Sandow entered.

”The telegrams are sent off,” said he. ”Now I am again at your disposal. I suppose dinner will soon be ready, Jessie?”

”I have still some necessary orders to give, which I will do at once.”

And hastily, as if taking to flight before the new arrival, but not without casting on him another glance of contempt, she left the room.

”Well, what do you think of Jessie?” said Sandow, as soon as the brothers were alone; ”and what progress have you made with her?”

”Progress! Surely, Frank, you did not quite expect me to make her a proposal of marriage at the first interview!”

”But at least you might lead the way to it.”

”The way has opened most successfully,” Gustave a.s.sured him. ”We have already had a most lively dispute.”

”Dispute! What do you mean?” and Sandow, who had seated himself near his brother, looked up as if he could hardly believe his ears. ”Is that the way you begin your courts.h.i.+p?”

”Why not? At least it prevents indifference. That I certainly need not fear from Miss Clifford. She is prejudiced against me to the highest degree, and looks upon my leaving my country at your call as a kind of treachery against it.”

”Yes, the girl has her head full of romantic ideas,” said Sandow angrily. ”That is owing to the sentimental, high-flown education she received from her mother. Clifford could not be induced to oppose it, although otherwise his understanding was healthy enough. He idolized his only daughter, and thought her everything that is good and beautiful. You will have to contend with these exaggerated ideas when Jessie is your wife.”

Around Gustave Sandow's lips played a half ironical smile as he replied--

”Do you, then, think it is a settled thing that she will become my wife? At present I seem to have the most brilliant prospects of refusal.”

”Stupid girlish whims! nothing more. She has taken it into her head that marriage must be preceded by a love romance. But you”--and here Sandow's eyes rested on his brother's handsome person--”it need not be difficult for you to gain ground with her, and my authority will do the rest. Jessie is far too dependent a character not to be led at last.”

”Well, I have not seen any symptoms of this dependence myself,”

remarked Gustave drily. ”Miss Clifford was tolerably energetic when she gave me the flattering information that my acquaintance was one of the bitterest disappointments of her life.”

Sandow wrinkled his forehead.

”She told you that!”

”Literally, and accompanied the speech with the necessary air of dislike and contempt. She is a quite peculiar mixture of maidenly reserve and genuine American self-consciousness. In our country a young girl would hardly have read a total stranger such a lecture.”

”Oh! no; Jessie is thoroughly German,” said Sandow. ”She is the living image of her mother, and has not a single trait of her American father.

But never mind that now. Let us come to the point. I never felt any doubt as to your acceptance of my proposal; that it has taken place so quickly and unreservedly is very agreeable to me, since it proves that, in spite of all your idealistic scribbling, you have managed to preserve a clear, cool head capable of making a calculation, which is just what is wanted here. Jessie is in every respect a brilliant match, such as you would scarcely have found under other circ.u.mstances. For me, the first recommendation of the plan is that it will keep Clifford's money in the firm. Our interests are therefore identical, and I hope we shall be satisfied with each other.”

”I hope so too,” said Gustave laconically.

The purely business view taken by his brother of the projected marriage seemed to surprise him as little as the judgment on his scribbling hurt him.