He did not add that the thought of Lord Wensleydown and the rest
swarming round Theodora drove him mad, deprived him of his power of
reasoning, and filled him with a wild desire to protect her, to be near
her, to keep her always for himself, always in his sight.
"Anne," he said, at last, "promise me you will go out of your way to be
kind to her. Don't let these other odious women put pin-points into her,
because she is so innocent, and all unused to this society. She is just
my queen and my darling. Will you remember that?"
And as Anne looked she saw there were two great tears in his eyes--his
deep-gray eyes which always wore a smile of whimsical mockery--and she
felt a lump in her throat.
This dear, dear brother! And she could do nothing to comfort him--one
way or another.
"Hector, I will promise--always," she said, and her voice trembled. "I
am sure she is sweet and good; and she is so lovely and fascinating--and
oh, I wish--I wish--too!"
Then he bent down and kissed her, just as his mother and Lady
Harrowfield came into the room.
Anne felt glad she had not informed them they were to meet the Browns,
as was her first intention. She seemed suddenly to see with Hector's
eyes, and to realize how narrow and spiteful Lady Harrowfield could be.
Most of the guests arrived one after the other, and were talking about
the intimate things they all knew, when "Mr. and Mrs. Brown" were
announced, and the whole party turned to look at them, while Lady
Harrowfield tittered, and whispered almost audibly to her neighbor: "These are the creatures Florence insisted upon my giving an invitation
to last night. I did it for her sake, of course, so wretchedly poor she
is, dear Florence, and she hopes to make a good thing out of them. Look
at the man!" she added. "Has one ever sees such a person, except in a
pork-butcher's shop!"
"I have never been in one," said Hector, agreeably, a dangerous flash in
his eyes; "but I hear things are too wonderfully managed at Harrowfield
House--though I had no idea you did the shopping yourself, dear Lady
Harrowfield."
She looked up at him, rage in her heart. Hector had long been a hopeless
passion of hers--so good-looking, so whimsical, and, above all, so
indifferent! She had never been able to dominate and ride rough-shod
ever him. When she was rude and spiteful he answered her back, and then
neglected her for the rest of the evening.