Beyond the Rocks

But why should he defend these people, whom, probably, he did not even

know?

She would watch and see.

Then they went in to luncheon, without waiting for two or three stray

young men who were always late.

And Theodora found herself sitting between the Crow and a sleek-looking

politician; while poor Josiah, extremely ill at ease, sat at the left

hand of his hostess.

Anne had purposely not put Hector near Theodora; with her mother there

she thought it was wiser not to run any risks.

Lady Bracondale was sufficiently soothed by her happy dream of the cause

of Hector's visit to Beechleigh to be coldly polite to Theodora, whom

Anne had presented to her before luncheon. She sat at the turn of the

long, oval table just one off, and was consequently able to observe her

very carefully.

"She is extremely pretty and looks well bred--quite too extraordinary,"

she said to herself, in a running commentary. "Grandfather a convict, no

doubt. She reminds me of poor Minnie Borringdon, who ran off with that

charming scapegrace brother of Patrick Fitzgerald. I wonder what became

of them?"

Lady Bracondale deplored the ways of many of the set she was obliged to

move in--Delicia Harrowfield, for instance. But what was one to do? One

must know one's old friends, especially those to whom one had been a

bridesmaid!

The Crow, who had begun by being determined to find Theodora as cunning

as other angels he was acquainted with, before the second course had

fallen completely under her spell.

No one to look into her tender eyes could form an adverse opinion about

her; and her gentle voice, which only said kind things, was pleasing to

the ear.

"'Pon my soul, Hector is not such a fool as I thought," Colonel Lowerby

said to himself. "This seems a bit of pure gold--poor little white lady!

What will be the end of her?"

And opposite, Hector, with great caution, devoured her with his eyes.

Theodora herself was quite happy, though her delicate intuition told her

Lady Harrowfield was antagonistic to her, and Hector's mother

exceedingly stiff, while most of the other women eyed her clothes and

talked over her head. But they all seemed of very little consequence to

her, somehow.

She was like the sun, who continues to shine and give warmth and light

no matter how much ugly imps may look up and make faces at him.

Theodora was never ill at ease. It would grieve her sensitive heart to

the core if those she loved made the faintest shade of difference in

their treatment of her--but strangers! They counted not at all, she had

too little vanity.