At Love's Cost

Ida nodded mechanically, and paid no heed. Presently Joseph, who was

one of those individuals who can never sit still or be silent for long

at a theatre or concert, nudged Ida and said: "Look! there is one of

them standing up! Why, I believe it is--" He borrowed an opera-glass

from the man sitting in front of him and levelled it at the stalls. One

of the new-comers, one of the gentlemen, had risen from his seat, and

with his back to the platform, was scanning the house with a pleasant

smile on his handsome face. "Yes, it is!" exclaimed Joseph, excitedly.

"It's Sir Stephen Orme! Here, take the glasses and look at him! That

gentleman looking round the house, the one standing up with the white

waistcoat, the one that came in with the other two! That's the great

Sir Stephen himself! I saw him once in the city; besides, I've seen his

portraits everywhere. That's the man who has created more excitement on

the Stock Exchange than any man in our time."

Ida took the glasses which he had thrust into her hand and held it to

her eyes; but her hand shook, and for a moment or two she could

distinguish nothing; then, as the mist passed away and her hand grew

steadier, so that she could see Sir Stephen, he bent down and said

something to the lady sitting beside him. She looked round, and Ida saw

distinctly, and for the first time, though fashionable London was

tolerably familiar with it now, the beautiful face of Maude Falconer.

With her heart beating painfully Ida looked at her, noting with a

woman's quickness every detail of the handsome face with its wealth of

bronze-gold hair. A presentiment flashed into her mind and weighed upon

her heart as she looked, a presentiment which was quickly verified, for

the man on the other side of the beautiful woman rose and looked round

the house, and Ida saw that it was Stafford.

Her hand gripped the opera-glass tightly, for it was in danger of

falling. She felt as if she were stifling, the great place, with its

sea of faces and its rings of electric light, swam before her eyes, and

she felt sick and giddy. It seemed to her that Stafford was looking

straight at her, that he could not fail to see her, and she shrank back

as far as the seat would allow, and a sigh that was a gasp for breath

escaped her lips, which had grown almost as white as her face. In

taking the glasses from her, Joseph noticed her pallor.