As for himself, in spite of his Buff-Orpington crest, and his
cock-o'-the-walk manner, Porter was, as far Mary was concerned,
saturated with humility. He knew that his money, his family's social
eminence were as nothing in her eyes. If underneath the weight of
these things Mary could find enough of a man in him to love that could
be his only hope. And that hope had held him for years to certain
rather sedate ambitions, and had given him moral standards which had
delighted his mother and had puzzled his father.
"Whatever I am as a man, you've made me," he said to Mary two hours
later, in the intermission between the second and third acts of the
musical comedy, which, for a time, had claimed their attention. Aunt
Isabelle, in front of the box, was smiling gently, happy in the golden
light and the nearness of the music. Barry was visiting Leila and the
General who were just below, in orchestra chairs.
"Whatever I am as a man, you've made me," Porter repeated, "and now, if
you'll only let me take care of you----"
Hitherto, Mary had treated his love-making lightly, but to-night she
turned upon him her troubled eyes. "Porter, you know I can't. But
there are times when I wish--I could----"
"Then why not?"
She stopped him with a gesture. "It wouldn't be right. I'm simply
feeling lonely and lost because Constance is so far away. But that
isn't any reason for marrying you. You deserve a woman who cares, who
really cares, heart and soul. And I can't, dear boy."
"I was a fool to think you might," savagely, "a man with a red head is
always a joke."
"As if that had anything to do with it."
"But it has, Mary. You know as well as I do that when I was a
youngster I was always Reddy Bigelow to our crowd--Reddy Bigelow with a
carrot-head and freckles. If I had been poor and common, life wouldn't
have been worth living. But mother's family and Dad's money fixed that
for me. And I had an allowance big enough to supply the neighborhood
with sweets. You were a little thing, but you were sorry for me, and I
didn't have to buy you. But I'd buy you now--with a house in town and
a country house, and motor cars and lovely clothes--if I thought it
would do any good, Mary."
"You wouldn't want me that way, Porter."
"I want you--any way."