"Well."
"I"ll go with you, Effie," said Imogene, "and see that you"re nicely tucked in."
When she returned alone, Mrs. Bowen was sitting where she had left her, and seemed not to have moved. "I think Effie will drop off to sleep,"
she said; "she seems drowsy." She sat down, and after a pensive moment continued, "I wonder what makes Mr. Colville seem so gloomy."
"Does he seem gloomy?" asked Mrs. Bowen unsympathetically.
"No, not gloomy exactly. But different from last night. I wish people could always be the same! He was so gay and full of spirits; and now he"s so self-absorbed. He thinks you"re offended with him, Mrs. Bowen."
"I don"t think he was very much troubled about it. I only thought he was flighty from want of sleep. At your age you don"t mind the loss of a night."
"Do you think Mr. Colville seems so very old?" asked Imogene anxiously.
Mrs. Bowen appeared not to have heard her. She went to the window and looked out. When she came back, "Isn"t it almost time for you to have a letter from home?" she asked.
"Why, no. I had one from mother day before yesterday. What made you think so?"
"Imogene," interrupted Mrs. Bowen, with a sudden excitement which she tried to control, but which made her lips tremble, and break a little from her restraint, "you know that I am here in the place of your mother, to advise you and look after you in every way?"
"Why, yes, Mrs. Bowen," cried the girl, in surprise.
"It"s a position of great responsibility in regard to a young lady. I can"t have anything to reproach myself with afterward."
"No."
"Have I always been kind to you, and considerate of your rights and your freedom? Have I ever interfered with you in any way that you think I oughtn"t?"
"What an idea! You"ve been loveliness itself, Mrs. Bowen!"
"Then I want you to listen to me, and answer me frankly, and not suspect my motives."
"Why, how _could_ I do that?"
"Never mind!" cried Mrs. Bowen impatiently, almost angrily. "People can"t help their suspicions! Do you think Mr. Morton cares for you?"
The girl hung her head.
"Imogene, answer me!"
"I don"t know," answered Imogene coldly; "but if you"re troubled about that, Mrs. Bowen, you needn"t be; I don"t care anything for Mr. Morton."
"If I thought you were becoming interested in any one, it would be my duty to write to your mother and tell her."
"Of course; I should expect you to do it."
"And if I saw you becoming interested in any one in a way that I thought would make you unhappy, it would be my duty to warn you."
"Yes."
"Of course, I don"t mean that any one would knowingly try to make you unhappy?"
"No."
"Men don"t go about nowadays trying to break girls" hearts. But very good men can be thoughtless and selfish."
"Yes; I understand that," said Imogene, in a falling accent.
"I don"t wish to prejudice you against any one. I should consider it very wrong and wicked. Besides, I don"t care to interfere with you to that degree. You are old enough to see and judge for yourself."
Imogene sat silent, pa.s.sing her hand across the front of her dress. The clock ticked audibly from the mantel.
"I will not have it left to me!" cried Mrs. Bowen. "It is hard enough, at any rate. Do you think I like to speak to you?"
"No."
"Of course it makes me seem inhospitable, and distrustful, and detestable."
"I never thought of accusing you," said the girl, slowly lifting her eyes.
"I will never, never speak to you of it again," said Mrs. Bowen, "and from this time forth I insist upon your feeling just as free as if I hadn"t spoken." She trembled upon the verge of a sob, from which she repelled herself.
Imogene sat still, with a sort of serious, bewildered look.
"You shall have every proper opportunity of meeting any one you like."
"Oh yes."
"And I shall be only too gl-glad to take back everything!"
Imogene sat motionless and silent. Mrs. Bowen broke out again with a sort of violence; the years teach us something of self-control, perhaps, but they weaken and unstring the nerves. In this opposition of silence to silence, the woman of the world was no match for the inexperienced girl.
"Have you nothing to say, Imogene?"
"I never thought of him in that way at all. I don"t know what to say yet. It--confuses me. I--I can"t imagine it. But if you think that he is trying to amuse himself----"
"I never said that!"
"No, I know it."
"He likes to make you talk, and to talk with you. But he is perfectly idle here, and--there is too much difference, every way. The very good in him makes it the worse. I suppose that after talking with him every one else seems insipid."
"Yes."
Mrs. Bowen rose and ran suddenly from the room.
Imogene remained sitting cold and still.
No one had been named since they spoke of Mr. Morton.