Part 5 (1/2)

”Oh, yes, yes,” said the major indulgently. ”It will do for young ladies to make romances about. It'll be a two days' wonder, and then you'll suddenly find out it's something very tame indeed.”

”Why, have they fixed the suspicion?” said Clara.

There was a restless movement from Kerr.

”No, no, nothing of that sort,” said the major quickly.

Harry pa.s.sed his hand through his arm. ”May I see you for five minutes, Major?”

The excellent major looked hara.s.sed.

”Suppose we all step up to the house,” he suggested. ”Why, you're not going, man?” he objected, for Kerr had fallen back a step, and, with lifted hat and balanced cane, was signaling his farewells.

”Do let us go up to the house,” said Clara. ”And Mrs. Purdie, won't you drive up with me? Flora wants to walk.”

Flora stood up. She had a confused impression that she had expressed no such desire, and that there was room for three in the landau; but the mental shove that Clara had administered gave her an impetus that carried her out of the carriage before she realized what she was about.

Some one had offered a hand to help her, and when she was on the ground she saw it was Kerr, who had come back and was standing beside her. He was smiling quizzically.

”I feel rather like walking, myself,” he said. ”Do you want a companion?”

She turned to him with grat.i.tude. ”I should be glad of one,” she said quickly. She was touched. She had not thought he could be so gentle.

Harry was already moving off up the board walk with the major. The carriage was turning. Kerr looked at the backs of the two women being driven away, and then at Flora. ”Very good,” he said, raising her parasol; ”you are the deposed heir, and I am your faithful servant.”

”But indeed I do want to walk,” she protested, a little shy at the way he read her case.

”But you didn't think of it until she gave you the suggestion, eh?” he quizzed.

”She probably had something to say to Mrs. Purdie that--”

”My dear child,” he caught her up earnestly, ”don't think I'm criticizing your friend's motive. I am only saying I saw something done that was not pretty, though really, if you will forgive me--it was very funny.”

Flora smiled ruefully. ”It must have been--absurd. I am afraid I often am. But what else could I have done?”

He seemed to ponder a moment. ”I fancy _you_ couldn't have done anything different. That's why I came back for you,” he volunteered gaily.

The casual words seemed in her ears fraught with deeper meaning. Her cheeks were hot behind her thin veil. They were strolling slowly up the board walk, and for a moment she could not look at him. She could only listen to the flutter of the fringes of the parasol carried above her head. She felt herself small and stupid. She could not understand what he could see in her to come back to. Then she gave a side glance at him.

She saw an unsmiling profile. The lines in his face were indeed extraordinary, but none was hard. She liked that wonderful mobility that had survived the batterings of experience.

As if he were conscious of her eyes, he looked down and smiled; but vaguely. He did not speak; and she was aware that it was at her appearance he had smiled, as if that only reached him through his preoccupation and pleased him. And since he seemed content with this vague looking, she was content to move beside him silent, a mere image of youth and--since he liked it--of prettiness, with a fleeting color and a gust of little curls blowing out under a fluttering veil.

But what was he thinking about so seriously between those smiling glances? Not her problem, she was sure.

Yet he had stayed for her when he had not meant to stay. He had been anxious to get away since he had first sighted them. Surely he must like her more than he disliked some other member of her party. Or had he simply reached forth out of his kindness to rescue her, as he might have rescued a blind kitten that he pitied? ”No,” he had said, ”_you_ could not have done anything different.”

They had almost reached the major's gate, and it was now or never to find out what he thought of her. She looked up at him suddenly, with inquiring eyes.

”Do you think I am weak?” she demanded.