Beyond the Rocks

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.