第22章

"He never eats sweet things and he doesn't care for trifles: bring it here!"And the girls seated themselves busily side by side on the opposite side of the room.Amy bent over the plate and chose the largest, beautiful white plait."Now there'll be a long silence," she said, holding it up between her dainty fingers and settling herself back in her chair."But, Kitty, you talk.And if you do leave your company again!--" She threatened Kitty charmingly.

He was in his room again, thinking it all over.She had not known why he had come: how could she know? To her it meant simply an ordinary call at an unfortunate hour; for she was tired--he could see that--and worried--he could see that also.And he!--had he ever been so solemn, so implacably in earnest, so impatient of the playfulness which at another time he would have found merely amusing? Why was he all at once growing so petty with her and exacting? Little by little he went over the circumstances judicially, in an effort to restore her to lovable supremacy over his imagination.

His imagination--for his heart was not in it.He wrought out her entire acquittal, but it did no good.Who at any time sounds the depths of the mind which, unlike the sea, can regain calm on the surface and remain troubled by a tempest at the bottom? What is the name of that imperial faculty dwelling within it which can annul the decisions of the other associated powers?

After he had taken the entire blame upon himself, his rage and disappointment were greater than ever.

Was it nothing for her to break her engagement with him and then to follow it up with treatment like that? Was it nothing to force Kitty into the parlour despite the silent understanding reached by all three long ago that whenever he called at the Poythress home, he would see her alone? Was it nothing to take advantage of his faithfulness to her, and treat him as though he had no spirit? Was it nothing to be shallow and silly herself?

Was it nothing--and ah! here was the trouble at the bottom of it all! Here was the strain of conviction pressing sorely, steadily in upon him through the tumult of his thoughts--was it nothing for her to be insincere? Did she even know what sincerity was? Would he marry an insincere woman? Insincerity was a growth not only ineradicable, but sure to spread over the nature as one grew older.He knew young people over whose minds it had begun to creep like the mere slip of a plant up a wall; old ones over whose minds it lay like a poisonous creeper hiding a rotting ruin.To be married and sit helplessly by and see this growth slowly sprouting outward from within, enveloping the woman he loved, concealing her, dragging her down--an unarrestable disease--was that to be his fate?

Was it already taking palpable possession of Amy? Could he hide his eyes any longer to the fact that he had felt its presence in her all the time--in its barely discoverable stages? What else could explain her conduct in allowing him, whenever they were alone, to think that she was fond of him, and then scattering this belief to the winds whenever others were present? Was this what Mrs.Falconer had meant? He could never feel any doubt of Mrs.

Falconer.Merely to think of her now had the effect of instantly clearing the whole atmosphere for his baffled, bewildered mind.So the day ended.He had been beaten, routed, and by forces how insignificant! Bitterly he recalled his lesson to the children that morning.What a McGary he had been--reckless, overconfident, knowing neither theplan nor the resources of the enemy! He recalled his boast to Mrs.Falconer the day before, that he had never been defeated and that now he would proceed to carry out the plans of his life without interruption.

But to-morrow evening, Amy would not be going to the ball.She would be alone.Then he would not go.He must find out all that he wished to know--or all that he did not.