"Oh!" said the minister suddenly brought back into the world of trivial
things? "Why, this is Mr. Carter, Mr. Shafton. He can speak for
himself."
Mark stood with lifted head and his princely look regarding the
interloper with cold eyes. He acknowledged the introduction almost
haughtily, and listened to the story of the burnt out bearings without
a change of countenance, then said gravely: "I think I can fix you up in the morning."
"Not to-night?" asked the spoiled Laurie with a frown of displeasure.
"Not to-night," said Mark with a finality that somehow forbade even a
Shafton from further parley.
Opal had regarded Mark from the vine covered porch as he stood with
bared head in the moonlight and clattered down on her tiny patent
leather pumps to be introduced. She came and stood hanging pertly on
Laurie Shafton's arm as if he were her private property, with her large
limpid eyes fixed upon the stranger, this prince of a man that had
suddenly turned up in this funny little country dump.
She put her giddy little tongue into the conversation, something about
how delicious it would be to take a little ride to-night, implying that
Mark might go along if he would fix up the car. She was dressed in a
slim, clinging frock of some rich Persian gauzy silk stuff, heavy with
beads in dull barbaric patterns, and girt with a rope of jet and jade.
Her slim white neck rose like a stem from the transparent neck line,
and a beaded band about her forehead held the fluffy hair in place
about her pretty dark little head. She wore long jade earrings which
nearly touched the white shoulders, and gave her the air of an Egyptian
princess. She was very gorgeous, and unusual even in the moonlight, and
she knew it, yet this strange young man gave her one cold scrutinizing
glance and turned away.
"I'll see you again in the morning, Mr. Severn," he said, and wringing
the minister's hand silently, he went back across the lawn. The spell
was broken and the minister knew it would be of no use to follow. Mark
would say no more of his trouble tonight.
It was so that Lynn, coming swiftly from her shadow, with troubled
thoughts, came face to face with Mark: He stopped suddenly as if something had struck him.
"Oh, Mark!" she breathed softly, and put out her hand.
He made a swift motion away from her, and said quickly: "Don't touch me, Marilyn,--I-am--not--worthy!"
Then quickly turning he sprang into his car and started the engine.