The Man Between [18]
it might turn out the other way. Bryce Denning has capacities in the same line. How far apart, how far above every man there, stood Basil Stanhope!"
"He is strikingly handsome and graceful, and I am sure that his luminous serenity does not arise from apathy. I should say he was a man of very strong and tender feelings."
"And he gives all the strength and tenderness of his feelings to Dora. Men are strange creatures."
"Who directed Dora's dress this evening?"
"Herself or her maid. I had nothing to do with it. The effect was stunning."
"Fred thought so. In fact, Fred Hostyn----"
"Fell in love with her."
"Exactly. `Fell,' that is the word--fell prostrate. Usually the lover of to-day walks very timidly and carefully into the condition, step by step, and calculating every step before he takes it. Fred plunged headlong into the whirling vortex. I am very sorry. It is a catastrophe."
"I never witnessed the accident before. I have heard of men getting wounds and falls, and developing new faculties in consequence, but we saw the phenomenon take place this evening."
"Love, if it be love, is known in a moment. man who never saw the sun before would know it was the sun. In Fred's case it was an instantaneous, impetuous passion, flaming up at the sight of such unexpected beauty-- a passion that will probably fade as rapidly as it rose."
"Fred is not that kind of a man, aunt. He does not like every one and everything, but whoever or whatever he does like becomes a lasting part of his life. Even the old chairs and tables at Mostyn are held as sacred objects by him, though I have no doubt an American girl would trundle them off to the garret. It is the same with the people. He actually regards the Rawdons as belonging in some way to the Mostyns; and I do not believe he has ever been in love before."
"Nonsense!"
"He was so surprised by the attack. If it had been the tenth or twentieth time he would have taken it more philosophically; besides, if he had ever loved any woman, he would have gone on loving her, and we should have known all about her perfections by this time."
"Dora is nearly a married woman, and Mostyn knows it."
"Nearly may make all the difference. When Dora is married he will be compelled to accept the inevitable and make the best of it."
"When Dora is married he will idealize her, and assure himself that her marriage is the tragedy of both their lives."
"Dora will give him no reason to suppose such a thing. I am sure she will not. She is too much in love with Mr. Stanhope to notice any other lover."
"You are mistaken, Ethel. Swiftly as Fred was vanquished she noticed it, and many times--once even while leaning on Mr. Stanhope's arm--she turned the arrow in the heart wound with sweet little glances and smiles, and pretty appeals to the blind adoration of her new lover. It was, to me, a humiliating spectacle. How could she do it?"
"I am sure Dora meant no wrong. It is so natural for a lovely girl to show off a little. She will marry and forget Fred Mostyn lives."
"And Fred will forget?"
"Fred will not forget."
"Then I shall be very sorry for your father and grandmother."
"What have they to do with Fred marrying?"
"A great deal. Fred has been so familiar and homely the last two or three weeks, that they have come to look upon him as a future member of the family. It has been `Cousin Ethel' and `Aunt Ruth' and even `grandmother' and `Cousin Fred,' and no objections have been made to the use of such personal terms. I think your father hopes for a closer tie between you and Fred Mostyn than cousinship."
"Whatever might have been is over. Do you imagine I could consent to be the secondary deity, to come after Dora--Dora of all the girls I have ever known? The idea is an insult to my heart and my intelligence. Nothing on earth could make me submit to such an indignity."
"I do not suppose, Ethel, that any wife is the first object of her husband's love."
"At least they tell her she is so, swear it an inch deep; and no woman is fool enough to look beyond that
"He is strikingly handsome and graceful, and I am sure that his luminous serenity does not arise from apathy. I should say he was a man of very strong and tender feelings."
"And he gives all the strength and tenderness of his feelings to Dora. Men are strange creatures."
"Who directed Dora's dress this evening?"
"Herself or her maid. I had nothing to do with it. The effect was stunning."
"Fred thought so. In fact, Fred Hostyn----"
"Fell in love with her."
"Exactly. `Fell,' that is the word--fell prostrate. Usually the lover of to-day walks very timidly and carefully into the condition, step by step, and calculating every step before he takes it. Fred plunged headlong into the whirling vortex. I am very sorry. It is a catastrophe."
"I never witnessed the accident before. I have heard of men getting wounds and falls, and developing new faculties in consequence, but we saw the phenomenon take place this evening."
"Love, if it be love, is known in a moment. man who never saw the sun before would know it was the sun. In Fred's case it was an instantaneous, impetuous passion, flaming up at the sight of such unexpected beauty-- a passion that will probably fade as rapidly as it rose."
"Fred is not that kind of a man, aunt. He does not like every one and everything, but whoever or whatever he does like becomes a lasting part of his life. Even the old chairs and tables at Mostyn are held as sacred objects by him, though I have no doubt an American girl would trundle them off to the garret. It is the same with the people. He actually regards the Rawdons as belonging in some way to the Mostyns; and I do not believe he has ever been in love before."
"Nonsense!"
"He was so surprised by the attack. If it had been the tenth or twentieth time he would have taken it more philosophically; besides, if he had ever loved any woman, he would have gone on loving her, and we should have known all about her perfections by this time."
"Dora is nearly a married woman, and Mostyn knows it."
"Nearly may make all the difference. When Dora is married he will be compelled to accept the inevitable and make the best of it."
"When Dora is married he will idealize her, and assure himself that her marriage is the tragedy of both their lives."
"Dora will give him no reason to suppose such a thing. I am sure she will not. She is too much in love with Mr. Stanhope to notice any other lover."
"You are mistaken, Ethel. Swiftly as Fred was vanquished she noticed it, and many times--once even while leaning on Mr. Stanhope's arm--she turned the arrow in the heart wound with sweet little glances and smiles, and pretty appeals to the blind adoration of her new lover. It was, to me, a humiliating spectacle. How could she do it?"
"I am sure Dora meant no wrong. It is so natural for a lovely girl to show off a little. She will marry and forget Fred Mostyn lives."
"And Fred will forget?"
"Fred will not forget."
"Then I shall be very sorry for your father and grandmother."
"What have they to do with Fred marrying?"
"A great deal. Fred has been so familiar and homely the last two or three weeks, that they have come to look upon him as a future member of the family. It has been `Cousin Ethel' and `Aunt Ruth' and even `grandmother' and `Cousin Fred,' and no objections have been made to the use of such personal terms. I think your father hopes for a closer tie between you and Fred Mostyn than cousinship."
"Whatever might have been is over. Do you imagine I could consent to be the secondary deity, to come after Dora--Dora of all the girls I have ever known? The idea is an insult to my heart and my intelligence. Nothing on earth could make me submit to such an indignity."
"I do not suppose, Ethel, that any wife is the first object of her husband's love."
"At least they tell her she is so, swear it an inch deep; and no woman is fool enough to look beyond that