Beyond the Rocks

Mrs. McBride, like all American widows, was an admirable hostess; the

conversation never flagged, or the gayety for one moment.

The Western millionaire was shrewd, and announced some quaint truths

while he picked his teeth with an audible sound.

"This is his first visit to Europe," Princess Worrzoff said afterwards

to Theodora by way of explanation. "He is so colossally rich he don't

need to worry about such things at his time of life; but it does make me

turn to hear him."

Captain Fitzgerald was in his element. No guest shone so brilliantly as

he. His wit was delicate, his sallies were daring, his looks were

insinuating, and his appearance was perfection.

Theodora had every reason to tingle with pride in him, and the widow

felt her heart beat.

"Isn't he just too bright--your father, Mrs. Brown?" she said as they

left the restaurant to have their coffee in the hall. "You must let me

see quantities of you while we are all in Paris together. It is a lovely

city; don't you agree with me?"

And Theodora did.

Lord Bracondale was of the same breed as Captain Fitzgerald--that is,

they neither of them permitted themselves to be superseded by any other

man with the object of their wishes. When they wanted to talk to a woman

they did, if twenty French counts or Russian princes stood in the way!

Thus it was that for the rest of the evening Theodora found herself

seated upon a sofa in close proximity to the man who had interested her

at dinner, and Mrs. McBride and Captain Fitzgerald occupied two

arm-chairs equally well placed, while the rest of the party made general

conversation.

Hector Bracondale, among other attractions, had a charming voice; it was

deep and arresting, and he had a way of looking straight into the eyes

of the person he was talking to.

Theodora knew at once he belonged to the tribe whom Sarah had told her

could never be husbands.

She wondered vaguely why, all the time she was talking to him. Why had

husbands always to be bores and unattractive, and sometimes even simply

revolting, like hers? Was it because these beautiful creatures could not

be bound to any one woman? It seemed to her unsophisticated mind that

it could be very nice to be married to one of them; but there was no use

fighting against fate, and she personally was wedded to Josiah Brown.

Lord Bracondale's conversation pleased her. He seemed to understand

exactly what she wanted to talk about; he saw all the things she saw

and--he had read Jean d'Agrève!--they got to that at the end of the

first half-hour, and then she froze up a little; some instinct told her

it was dangerous ground, so she spoke suddenly of the weather, in a

banal voice.