The Essential Elinor Glyn Collection. Glyn Elinor

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СКАЧАТЬ called, as she had promised, at Claridge's, and found Mrs. Brown at home, although it was only three o'clock in the afternoon.

      She had not two minutes to wait in the well-furnished first-floor sitting-room, but during that time she noticed there were one or two things about which showed the present occupant was a woman of taste, and there were such quantities of flowers. Flowers, flowers, everywhere.

      Theodora entered already dressed for her afternoon drive. She came forward with that perfect grace which characterized her every movement.

      If she felt very timid and nervous it did not show in her sweet face, and Lady Anningford perceived Hector had every excuse for his infatuation.

      "I am so fortunate to find you at home, Mrs. Brown," she said. "My brother has told me so much about you, and I was longing to meet you. May we sit down on this sofa and talk a little, or were you just starting for your drive?"

      "Of course we may sit down," said Theodora. "My drive does not matter in the least. It was so good of you to come."

      And her inward thought was that she would like Hector's sister. Anne's frankness and _sans gne_ were so pleasing.

      They exchanged a few agreeable sentences while each measured the other, and then Lady Anningford said:

      "You come from Australia, don't you?"

      "Australia!" smiled Theodora, while her eyes opened wide. "Oh no! I have never been out of France and Belgium and places like that. My husband lived in Melbourne for some years, though."

      "I thought it could not be possible," quoth Anne to herself.

      "Then you don't know much of England yet?" she said, aloud.

      "It is my first visit; and it seems very dull and rainy. This is the only really fine day we have had since we arrived."

      Anne soon dexterously elicited an outline of Theodora's plans and what she was doing. They would only remain in town until Whitsuntide, perhaps returning later for a week or two; and Mrs. Devlyn, to whom her father had sent her an introduction, had been kind enough to tell them what to do and how to see a little of London. She was going to a ball to-night. The first real ball she had ever been to in her life, she said, ingenuously.

      And Lady Anningford looked at her and each moment fell more under her charm.

      "The ball at Harrowfield House, I expect, to meet the King of Guatemala," she said, knowing Lady Harrowfield was Florence Devlyn's cousin.

      "That is it," said Theodora.

      "Then you must dance with Hector--my brother," she said.

      She launched his name suddenly; she wanted to see what effect it would have on Theodora. "He is sure to be there, and he dances divinely."

      She was rewarded for her thrust: just the faintest pink came into the white velvet cheeks, and the blue eyes melted softly. To dance with Hector! Ah! Then the radiance was replaced by a look of sadness, and she said, quietly:

      "Oh, I do not think I shall dance at all. My husband is rather an invalid, and we shall only go in for a little while."

      No, she must not dance with Hector. Those joys were not for her--she must not even think of it.

      "How extraordinarily beautiful she is!" Anne thought, when presently, the visit ended, she found herself rolling along in her electric brougham towards the park. "And I feel I shall love her. I wonder what her Christian name is?"

      Theodora had promised they would lunch in Charles Street with her the next day if her husband should be well enough after the ball. And Anne decided to collect as many nice people to meet them as she could in the time.

      At the corner of Grosvenor Square she met an old friend, one Colonel Lowerby, commonly called the Crow, and stopped to pick him up and take him on with her.

      He was the one person she wanted to talk to at this juncture. She had known him all her life, and was accustomed to prattle to him on all subjects. He was always safe, and gruff, and honest.

      "I have just done something so interesting, Crow," she told him, as they went along towards Regent's Park, to which sylvan spot she had directed her chauffeur, to be more free to talk in peace to her companion. Some of her friends were capable of making scandals, even about the dear old Crow, she knew.

      "And what have you done?" he asked.

      "Of course you have heard the tale from Uncle Evermond, of Hector and the lady at Monte Carlo?"

      He nodded.

      "Well, there is not a word of truth in it; he is in love, though, with the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life--and I have just been to call upon her. And to-morrow you have got to come to lunch to meet her--and tell me what you think."

      "Very well," said the Crow. "I was feeding elsewhere, but I always obey you. Continue your narrative."

      "I want you to tell me what to do, and how I can help them."

      "My dear child," said the Crow, sententiously, as was his habit, "help them to what? She is married, of course, or Hector would not be in love with her. Do you want to help them to part or to meet? or to go to heaven or to hell? or to spend what Monica Ellerwood calls 'a Saturday to Monday amid rural scenery,' which means both of those things one after the other!"

      "Crow, dear, you are disagreeable," said Lady Anningford, "and I have a cold in my head and cannot compete with you in words to-day."

      "Then say what you want, and I'll listen."

      "Hector met them in Paris, it seems, and must have fallen wildly in love, because I have never seen him as he is now."

      "How is he?--and who is 'them'?"

      "Why, she and the husband, of course, and Hector is looking sad and distrait--and has really begun to feel at last."

      "Serve him right!"

      "Crow, you are insupportable! Can you not see I am serious and want your help?"

      "Fire away, then, my good child, and explain matters. You are too vague!"

      So she told him all she knew--which was little enough; but she was eloquent upon Theodora's beauty.

      "She has the face of an angel," she ended her description with.

      "Always mistrust 'em," interjected the Crow.

      "Such a figure and the nicest manner, and she is in love with Hector, too, of course--because she could not possibly help herself--could she?--if he is being lovely to her."

      "I have not your prejudiced eyes for him--though Hector certainly is a decent fellow enough to look at," allowed Colonel Lowerby. "But all this does not get to what you want to do for them."

      "I СКАЧАТЬ