Phyllis of Philistia [73]
heart and soul at his feet-- that was how she put it to herself--he had not considered it worth his while to take the priceless gift that she offered to him.
"He will answer to me for that," she said, as she thought over her humiliation, in front of her dressing-glass that morning, while her maid was absent from the room.
Her wish was now not that her prayer had been less earnest, but that it had not been uttered at all. It was necessary for her to meet him again in order that he might explain to her how it came that he had preferred the attractions incidental to a cruise with Lord Earlscourt and his friends to all that she had written to offer him.
And yet when her husband, after having quite finished with his paper, said:
"It's very awkward that Herbert Courtland is not in town,"
She merely raised her shoulders an inch, saying:
"I suppose that he has a right to take a holiday now and then. If you didn't telegraph to him from Paris, you cannot complain."
"I felt certain that I should find him here," said the husband.
"Here?" said the wife, raising her eyebrows and casting an offended glance at her husband. "Here?"
He smiled in the face of her offended glance.
"Here--in London, I mean, of course. Heavens, Ella! did you fancy for a moment that I meant---- Ah, by the way, you have seen him recently?"
"Oh, yes; quite recently--on Tuesday, I think it was, we met at the Ayrton's dinner party--yes, it was Tuesday. There was some fuss, or attempted fuss, about his adventures in New Guinea, and a question was being asked about the matter in the House of Commons. Mr. Ayrton got rid of some of his superfluous cleverness in putting a counter question--you know the way."
"Oh, perfectly well! And that is how you met on Tuesday--if it was Tuesday?"
"Yes; he went to thank Mr. Ayrton, and Mr. Ayrton asked him to dinner. It was a small party, and not very brilliant. Herbert came here with me afterward--for five minutes."
"Ah! To get the taste of the party off his mouth, I suppose? He didn't say anything to you then about being tired of his London season?"
"Not a word. He seemed tired of the dinner party. He yawned."
"And I'm sure that you yawned in sympathy. When a man so far forgets himself as to yawn in the presence of a woman, she never fails to respond with one of more ample circumference. When a woman so far remembers herself as to yawn in the presence of a man, he tries to say something witty."
"Yes, when the woman is not his wife. If she is his wife, he asks her if she doesn't think it's about time she was in bed."
"I dare say you're right; you have observed men--and women, for that matter--much more closely than I have had time to do. It's very awkward that he isn't here. I must bring him back at once."
She felt a little movement at her heart; but she only said:
"I wouldn't do that, if I were you. Why shouldn't he be allowed to enjoy his holiday in peace?"
"It's a matter of business; the mine, I told you."
"What's wrong with the mine that could be set right by his coming back at once? Are you not making enough out of it?"
"We're making quite as much as is good for us out of it. But if we can get a hundred and fifty thousand pounds for a few yards of our claim further east, without damaging the prospects of the mine itself, I don't think we should refuse it--at any rate, I don't think that we should refuse to consider the offer."
"What is a hundred and fifty thousand pounds?" said she.
"I wonder why you dressed yourself as you did last night?" said he.
The suddenness of the words did not cause her to quail as the guilty wife quails--yes, under a properly managed lime-light. She did not even color. But then, of course, she was not a guilty wife.
She lay back on her chair and laughed.
He watched her--not eagerly, but pleasantly, admiringly.
"My dear Stephen, if you could understand why I dressed myself that way you would be able to give me a valuable hint as to where the connection lies between your mine and my toilet--I need such a hint, now, I can
"He will answer to me for that," she said, as she thought over her humiliation, in front of her dressing-glass that morning, while her maid was absent from the room.
Her wish was now not that her prayer had been less earnest, but that it had not been uttered at all. It was necessary for her to meet him again in order that he might explain to her how it came that he had preferred the attractions incidental to a cruise with Lord Earlscourt and his friends to all that she had written to offer him.
And yet when her husband, after having quite finished with his paper, said:
"It's very awkward that Herbert Courtland is not in town,"
She merely raised her shoulders an inch, saying:
"I suppose that he has a right to take a holiday now and then. If you didn't telegraph to him from Paris, you cannot complain."
"I felt certain that I should find him here," said the husband.
"Here?" said the wife, raising her eyebrows and casting an offended glance at her husband. "Here?"
He smiled in the face of her offended glance.
"Here--in London, I mean, of course. Heavens, Ella! did you fancy for a moment that I meant---- Ah, by the way, you have seen him recently?"
"Oh, yes; quite recently--on Tuesday, I think it was, we met at the Ayrton's dinner party--yes, it was Tuesday. There was some fuss, or attempted fuss, about his adventures in New Guinea, and a question was being asked about the matter in the House of Commons. Mr. Ayrton got rid of some of his superfluous cleverness in putting a counter question--you know the way."
"Oh, perfectly well! And that is how you met on Tuesday--if it was Tuesday?"
"Yes; he went to thank Mr. Ayrton, and Mr. Ayrton asked him to dinner. It was a small party, and not very brilliant. Herbert came here with me afterward--for five minutes."
"Ah! To get the taste of the party off his mouth, I suppose? He didn't say anything to you then about being tired of his London season?"
"Not a word. He seemed tired of the dinner party. He yawned."
"And I'm sure that you yawned in sympathy. When a man so far forgets himself as to yawn in the presence of a woman, she never fails to respond with one of more ample circumference. When a woman so far remembers herself as to yawn in the presence of a man, he tries to say something witty."
"Yes, when the woman is not his wife. If she is his wife, he asks her if she doesn't think it's about time she was in bed."
"I dare say you're right; you have observed men--and women, for that matter--much more closely than I have had time to do. It's very awkward that he isn't here. I must bring him back at once."
She felt a little movement at her heart; but she only said:
"I wouldn't do that, if I were you. Why shouldn't he be allowed to enjoy his holiday in peace?"
"It's a matter of business; the mine, I told you."
"What's wrong with the mine that could be set right by his coming back at once? Are you not making enough out of it?"
"We're making quite as much as is good for us out of it. But if we can get a hundred and fifty thousand pounds for a few yards of our claim further east, without damaging the prospects of the mine itself, I don't think we should refuse it--at any rate, I don't think that we should refuse to consider the offer."
"What is a hundred and fifty thousand pounds?" said she.
"I wonder why you dressed yourself as you did last night?" said he.
The suddenness of the words did not cause her to quail as the guilty wife quails--yes, under a properly managed lime-light. She did not even color. But then, of course, she was not a guilty wife.
She lay back on her chair and laughed.
He watched her--not eagerly, but pleasantly, admiringly.
"My dear Stephen, if you could understand why I dressed myself that way you would be able to give me a valuable hint as to where the connection lies between your mine and my toilet--I need such a hint, now, I can