Down the quiet street Archer
heard the approaching trot of her horses.
"That IS noble," she said, with a slight break in her
voice.
"Yes. But it's ridiculous."
"Ridiculous? Because you don't care for any one
else?"
"Because I don't mean to marry any one else."
"Ah." There was another long interval. At length she
looked up at him and asked: "This other woman--
does she love you?"
"Oh, there's no other woman; I mean, the person
that May was thinking of is--was never--"
"Then, why, after all, are you in such haste?"
"There's your carriage," said Archer.
She half-rose and looked about her with absent eyes.
Her fan and gloves lay on the sofa beside her and she
picked them up mechanically.
"Yes; I suppose I must be going."
"You're going to Mrs. Struthers's?"
"Yes." She smiled and added: "I must go where I am
invited, or I should be too lonely. Why not come with
me?"
Archer felt that at any cost he must keep her beside
him, must make her give him the rest of her evening.
Ignoring her question, he continued to lean against the
chimney-piece, his eyes fixed on the hand in which she
held her gloves and fan, as if watching to see if he had
the power to make her drop them.
"May guessed the truth," he said. "There is another
woman--but not the one she thinks."
Ellen Olenska made no answer, and did not move.
After a moment he sat down beside her, and, taking
her hand, softly unclasped it, so that the gloves and fan
fell on the sofa between them.
Pages:
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191