Part 20 (1/2)

”Most women are.”

”I never pretended to understand anything about--economics, or whatever you call it.”

”No.”

”Then how----”

He turned and looked at her gently. ”I thought you might have begun to understand something about _me_.”

”About you?” The colour flowered softly under her clear skin.

”About what my ideas on such subjects were likely to be worth--judging from what you know of me in other respects.” He paused and glanced away from her. ”Well,” he concluded deliberately, ”I suppose I've had my answer tonight.”

”Oh, John----!”

He rose and wandered across the room, pausing a moment to finger absently the trinkets on the dressing-table. The act recalled with a curious vividness certain dulled sensations of their first days together, when to handle and examine these frail little accessories of her toilet had been part of the wonder and amus.e.m.e.nt of his new existence. He could still hear her laugh as she leaned over him, watching his mystified look in the gla.s.s, till their reflected eyes met there and drew down her lips to his. He laid down the fragrant powder-puff he had been turning slowly between his fingers, and moved back toward the bed. In the interval he had reached a decision.

”Well--isn't it natural that I should think so?” he began again, as he stood beside her. ”When we married I never expected you to care or know much about economics. It isn't a quality a man usually chooses his wife for. But I had a fancy--perhaps it shows my conceit--that when we had lived together a year or two, and you'd found out what kind of a fellow I was in other ways--ways any woman can judge of--I had a fancy that you might take my opinions on faith when it came to my own special business--the thing I'm generally supposed to know about.”

He knew that he was touching a sensitive chord, for Bessy had to the full her s.e.x's pride of possessors.h.i.+p. He was human and faulty till others criticized him--then he became a G.o.d. But in this case a conflicting influence restrained her from complete response to his appeal.

”I _do_ feel sure you know--about the treatment of the hands and all that; but you said yourself once--the first time we ever talked about Westmore--that the business part was different----”

Here it was again, the ancient ineradicable belief in the separable body and soul! Even an industrial organization was supposed to be subject to the old theological distinction, and Bessy was ready to co-operate with her husband in the emanc.i.p.ation of Westmore's spiritual part if only its body remained under the law.

Amherst controlled his impatience, as it was always easy for him to do when he had fixed on a definite line of conduct.

”It was my situation that was different; not what you call the business part. That is inextricably bound up with the treatment of the hands. If I am to have anything to do with the mills now I can deal with them only as your representative; and as such I am bound to take in the whole question.”

Bessy's face clouded: was he going into it all again? But he read her look and went on rea.s.suringly: ”That was what I meant by saying that I hoped you would take me on faith. If I want the welfare of Westmore it's above all, I believe, because I want Westmore to see you as _I_ do--as the dispenser of happiness, who could not endure to benefit by any wrong or injustice to others.”

”Of course, of course I don't want to do them injustice!”

”Well, then----”

He had seated himself beside her again, clasping in his the hand with which she was fretting the lace-edged sheet. He felt her restless fingers surrender slowly, and her eyes turned to him in appeal.

”But I care for what people say of you too! And you know--it's horrid, but one must consider it--if they say you're spending my money imprudently....” The blood rose to her neck and face. ”I don't mind for myself...even if I have to give up as many things as papa and Mr.

Tredegar think...but there is Cicely...and if people said....”

”If people said I was spending Cicely's money on improving the condition of the people to whose work she will some day owe all her wealth--”

Amherst paused: ”Well, I would rather hear that said of me than any other thing I can think of, except one.”

”Except what?”

”That I was doing it with her mother's help and approval.”

She drew a long tremulous sigh: he knew it was always a relief to her to have him a.s.sert himself strongly. But a residue of resistance still clouded her mind.