Beyond the Rocks

He would have to report to Anne that the two had spent it practically

together; that Morella had a sullen red look on her face which boded ill

for the part she would play, when she should be asked to play some part;

that Mildred had done her best to render Theodora uncomfortable and

unhappy, and thus had thrown her more into Hector's protection. The

other women had been indifferent or mocking or amused, and Lady

Harrowfield had let it be seen she would have no mercy. Her comments

had been vitriolic.

Hector and Theodora had not gone out of sight, or been any different to

the others; only he had never left her, and there could be no mistaking

the devotion in his face.

For the whole day Sir Patrick had more or less taken charge of Josiah.

He was finding him more difficult to manipulate over money matters than

he had anticipated. Josiah's vulgar, round face and snub nose gave no

index to his shrewdness; with his mutton-chop whiskers and bald head,

Josiah was the personification of the smug grocer.

As she went to dress for dinner it seemed to Theodora that her heart was

breaking. She was only flesh and blood after all, and she, too, had felt

her pulses throbbing wildly as they had walked along by the lake, when

all the color and lights of the evening helped to excite her imagination

and exalt her spirit. They had been almost alone, for the other pair who

composed the partie carrée of this walk were several yards ahead of

them.

Each minute she had been on the verge of imploring him to say

good-bye--to leave her--to let their lives part, to try to forget, and

the words froze on her lips in the passionate, unspoken cry which

seemed to rise from her heart that she loved him. Oh, she loved him! And

so she had not spoken.

There had been long silences, and each was growing almost to know the

other's thoughts--so near had they become in spirit.

When she got to her room her knees were trembling. She fell into a chair

and buried her face in her hands. She shivered as if from cold.

Josiah was almost angry with her for being so late for dinner. Theodora

hardly realized with whom she went in; she was dazed and numb. She got

through it somehow, and this night determined to go straight to her room

rather than be treated as she had been the night before. But one of the

women whom the intercourse of the day had drawn into conversation with

her showed signs of friendliness as they went through the anteroom, and

drew her towards a sofa to talk. She was fascinated by Theodora's beauty

and grace, and wanted to know, too, just where her clothes came from, as

she did not recognize absolutely the models of any of the well-known

couturières, and they were certainly the loveliest garments worn by

any one in the party.