Beyond the Rocks

And so the evening wore away. Sir Patrick drew Josiah into the

bridge-room, and made him join one of the tables where they were waiting

for a fourth--Josiah, who was a very bad player, and did not really care

for cards! But luck favored him, and the woman opposite restrained the

irritable things she had ready to say to him when she first perceived

how he played his hand.

And all the while Hector sat by Theodora, and learned more and more of

her fair, clear mind. All the thoughts she had upon every subject he

found were just and quaint and in some way illuminating. It was her

natural sweetness of nature which made the great charm--that quality

which Mrs. McBride had remarked upon, and which every one felt sooner or

later.

Nothing of the ascetic saint or goody poseuse. She did not walk about

with a book of poems under her arm, and wear floppy clothes and talk

about her own and other people's souls. She was just human and true and

attractive.

Theodora had perhaps no religion at all from the orthodox point of view;

but had she been a Mohommedan or a Confucian or a Buddhist, she would

still have been Theodora, full of gentleness and goodness and grace.

The entire absence of vanity and self-consciousness in her prevented her

from feeling hurt or ruffled even with these ill-mannered women. She

thought them rude and unpleasant, but they could not really hurt her

except by humiliating Josiah. Her generosity instantly fired at that.

Both she and Hector perceived that Morella and Lord Wensleydown sat

there watching them for no other reason but to disconcert and tease

them, and it roused a spirit of resistance in both. While this was going

on they would not move.

And Hector employed the whole of his self-control to keep himself from

making actual love to her, and they talked of many things, and she

understood and was grateful.

Presently, apparently, Morella could stand it no longer, for she rose

rather abruptly and said to Lord Wensleydown: "Come, let us play bridge."

They went on into the other room, and Theodora and Lord Bracondale were

left quite alone.

"I should like to find Josiah," said Theodora. "Shall we not go, too?"

And they also followed upon the others' heels. Lady Ada happened to be

out at her table, and some tardy sense of her duties as a hostess came

to her, for she crossed over to where Theodora stood by the door and

made some ordinary remark about hoping it would be fine on the morrow so

they could enjoy the gardens.