And for one second Hector's eyes looked murderous as they glared into
the distance--and Theodora glanced up timidly, and asked, in a
sympathetic voice: What was it? What ailed him?
"Some day I will tell you," he said. "But not yet."
Then he asked her more about her family and her plans.
They would stay in London at Claridge's for a week or so, and go down to
Bessington Hall for Whitsuntide. It would be ready for them then. Josiah
had had it all furnished magnificently by one of those people who had
taste and ordered well for those who could afford to pay for it. She was
rather longing to see it, she said--her future home--and she could have
wished she might have chosen the things herself. Not that it mattered
much either way.
"I am very ignorant about houses," she explained, "because we never
really had one, you see, but I think, perhaps, I would know what was
pretty from museums and pictures--and I love all colors and forms."
He felt sure she would know what was pretty. How delightful it would be
to watch her playing with his old home! The touches of her gentle
fingers would make everything sacred afterwards.
At last they came to the end of the green glade--and temptation again
assailed him. He must ruffle the peace of her soft eyes once more.
"And here is the barrier," he said, pointing to a board with "Terrain
réservé" upon it--Réserveé pour la chasse de Monsieur le Président,
"The barrier which Love keeps--and I want to take him with us as the
prince and princess did in the fairy tale."
"Then you must carry him all by yourself," laughed Theodora. "And he
will be heavy and tire you, long before we get to Versailles."
This time she was on her guard--and besides they were walking--and he
was no longer caressing the edge of her dress with his wild flower; it
was almost easy to fence now.
But when they reached the automobile and he bent over to tuck the rug
in--and she felt the touch of his hands and perceived the scent of
him--the subtle scent, not a perfume hardly, of his coat, or his hair, a
wild rush of that passionate disturbance came over her again, making her
heart beat and her eyes dilate.
And Hector saw and understood, and bit his lips, and clinched his hands
together under the rug, because so great was his own emotion that he
feared what he should say or do. He dared not, dared not chance a
dismissal from the joy of her presence forever, after this one day.