During the weeks immediately following Darrell's departure the daily
routine of life at The Pines continued in the accustomed channels, but
there was not a member of the family, including Mr. Underwood himself,
to whom it did not seem strangely empty, as though some essential
element were missing.
To Kate her present life, compared with the first months of her return
home, was like the narrow current creeping sluggishly beneath the icy
fetters of winter as compared with the same stream laughing and singing
on its way under summer skies. But she was learning the lesson that all
must learn; that the world sweeps relentlessly onward with no pause for
individual woe, and each must keep step in its ceaseless march, no
matter how weary the brain or how heavy the heart.
Walcott's visits continued with the same frequency, but he was less
annoying in his attentions than formerly. It had gradually dawned upon
him that Kate was no longer a child, but a woman; and a woman with a
will as indomitable as her father's once it was aroused. He was not
displeased at the discovery; on the contrary, he looked forward with all
the keener anticipation to the pleasure of what he mentally termed the
"taming" process, once she was fairly within his power. Meantime, he was
content to make a study of her, sitting evening after evening either in
conversation with her father or listening while she played and sang,
but always watching her every movement, scanning every play of her
features.
"A loose rein for the present," he would say to himself, with a smile;
"but by and by, my lady, you will find whether or no I am master!"
He seldom attempted now to draw her into a tête à tête conversation, but
finding her one evening sitting upon a low divan in one of the
bay-windows looking out into the moonlight, he seated himself beside her
and began one of his entertaining tales of travel. An hour or more
passed pleasantly, and Walcott inquired, casually,-"By the way, Miss Underwood, what has become of my four-footed friend? I
have not seen him for three weeks or more, and his attentions to me were
so marked I naturally miss them."
"Duke is at the mining camp," Kate answered, with a faint smile.
Walcott raised his eyebrows incredulously. "Possible! With my other
admirer, Mr. Darrell?"
"He is with Mr. Darrell."
"Accept my gratitude, Miss Underwood, for having made my entrée to your
home much pleasanter, not to say safer."
"I neither claim nor accept your gratitude, Mr. Walcott," Kate replied,
with cool dignity, "since I did it simply out of regard for Duke's
welfare and not out of any consideration whatever for your wishes in the
matter."
"I might have known as much," said Walcott, with a mock sigh of
resignation, settling back comfortably among the pillows on the divan
and fixing his eyes on Kate's face; "I might have known that
consideration for any wish of mine could never by any chance be assigned
as the motive for an act of yours."