Harry Underwood elbowed his wife away from my side with a playful push, and held out his hand. His brilliant, black eyes looked down into mine with the same lazy approving expression that I had resented when d.i.c.ky introduced me to him at the theatre.
I cudgelled my brain in vain for some airy nothing with which to answer his nonsense. I never have had the gift of repartee. I can talk well enough about subjects that interest me when I am conversing with some one whom I know well, but the frothy persiflage, the light banter that forms the conversation"s stock in trade of so many women, is an alien tongue to me.
"You are just as welcome as Mrs. Underwood is," I said heartily at last. Fortunately he did not read the precisely honest meaning hidden in my words.
"Come on, Harry, into my room," urged d.i.c.ky, taking him by the arm.
"I"ve got a special brand cached in there, and had to hide it so mein frau wouldn"t drink it up."
I suppose my face reflected the dismay I felt at this intimation that the women would begin drinking so early. I feared for the repet.i.tion of the experience of Friday evening. But the laws of conventions and hospitality bound me. I felt that I could not protest. Mrs. Underwood apparently had no such scruples. She clutched d.i.c.ky by the arm and swung him around facing her.
"Now, see here, my d.i.c.ky-bird," she began, "you begin this special bottle kind of business and I walk out of here. I should think you and Harry would have had enough of this the other evening. We came over here today for a little visit, and tonight we"ll sit on either the water wagon or the beer wagon, just as Mrs. Graham says. But you boys won"t start any of these special drinks, or I"ll know the reason why."
"Oh, cut it out, Lil," her husband said, not crossly, but mechanically, as if it were a phrase he often used. But d.i.c.ky laughed down at her, although I knew by the look in his eyes that he was much annoyed.
"All right, Lil," he said easily. "I suppose Madge will fall in grat.i.tude on your neck for this when she gets you into the seclusion of her room. You haven"t any objection to our having a teenty-weenty little smoke, have you, mamma dear?"
"Go as far as you like," she returned, ignoring the sneers.
As I turned and led the way to my room, I was conscious of curiously mingled emotions. Relief at the elimination of the special bottle with its inevitable consequences and resentment that d.i.c.ky should so weakly obey the dictum of another woman, battled with each other. But stronger than either was a dawning wonder. From the conversation I had overheard in the theatre dressing-room and trifling things in Mrs. Underwood"s own conduct, I had been led to believe that she was sentimentally interested in d.i.c.ky, and that some time in the future I might have to battle with her for his affections. But her speech to him which I had just heard savored more of the mother laying down the law to a refractory child than it did of anything approaching sentiment. Could it be, I told myself, that I had been mistaken?
Our husbands looked exceedingly comfortable when we rejoined them, for they were smoking vigorously and discussing the merits of two boxers Mr. Underwood had recently seen. As we entered the room both men, of course, sprang to their feet, and I had a moment"s opportunity to contrast their appearance.
d.i.c.ky is slender, lithe, with merry brown eyes and thick, brown hair, with a touch of auburn in it, and just enough suspicion of a curl to give him several minutes" hard brushing each day trying to keep it down. Harry Underwood, taller even than d.i.c.ky, who is above the medium height, is ma.s.sive in frame, well built, muscular, with black hair tinged with gray, and the blackest, most piercing eyes I have ever seen. I was proud of d.i.c.ky as I stood looking at them, while Lillian exchanged some merry nonsense with d.i.c.ky, but I also had to acknowledge that Harry Underwood was a splendid specimen of manhood.
As if he had read my thoughts, his eyes caught mine and held them. To all appearances he was listening to the banter of d.i.c.ky and his wife, but there was an inscrutable look in his eyes, an enigmatical smile upon his lips, as he looked at me that vaguely troubled me. His glance, his smile, seemed significant somehow, as if we were old friends who held some humorous experience in common remembrance. And I had never seen him but once before in my life.
I shrugged my shoulders, ever so slightly. It is a habit of mine when I am displeased, or wish to throw off some unpleasant sensation of memory. I was almost unconscious of having used the gesture. But Harry Underwood crossed the room as if it had been a signal, and stood looking down quizzically at me.
"Little lady," he began, "you shouldn"t hold a grudge so well. It doesn"t harmonize with your eyes and your mouth. They were meant for kindness, not severity. If there is any way that I can show you I am humbled to the dust for coming here I"ll do any penance you say."
"You must be mistaken, Mr. Underwood." I strove to control my voice.
"I have no grudge whatever against you, so you see you are absolved in advance from my penance."
"Will you shake hands on it?" He put out his large, white, beautifully formed hand and grasped mine before I had half extended it.
I felt myself flushing hotly. Of all the absolutely idiotic things in the world, this standing hand in hand with Harry Underwood, in a formal pact of friendship or forgiveness or whatever he imagined the hand-clasp signified, was the most ridiculous. He was quick enough to fathom my distaste, but he clasped my hand tighter and, bending slightly so that he could look straight into my eyes he said, lazily smiling:
"You are the most charming prevaricator I know. You come pretty near to hating me, little lady. But you won"t dislike me long. I"ll make a bet with myself on that."
"Hold that pose just a minute. Don"t move. It"s simply perfect."
Lillian Underwood"s merry voice interrupted her husband"s declaration.
With clever mimicry she struck the att.i.tude of a nervous photographer just ready to close the shutter of his camera. d.i.c.ky stood just behind her too, also smiling, but while Lillian"s merriment evidently was genuine, I detected a distaste for the proceedings behind d.i.c.ky"s smile, which I knew was forced.
Lillian slipped in an imaginary plate, then springing to one side stood pretending to clasp the bulb of the shutter in her hand, while she counted: "One, two, three, four, five--thank you!"
"Now if you will just change your expressions," she rattled on.
"Harry, why don"t you take both her hands? Then if Mrs. Graham will smile a little we will have a sentimental gem, or if she makes her expression even a trifle more disapproving than it is I can label it, "Unhand me, villain.""
"I never take a dare," returned her husband, and s.n.a.t.c.hed my other hand. But I was really angry by this time, and I wrenched my hands away with an effort and threw my head a trifle haughtily, although fortunately I was able to control my words:
"Do you know, people, that there will be no food for you tonight unless I busy myself with its preparations immediately? Mrs.
Underwood, won"t you entertain those boys and excuse me for a little while?"
I went into the dining room and put on the kitchen ap.r.o.n I had taken off when I heard the voices of my early guests. Almost immediately Lillian appeared arrayed in the ap.r.o.n I had given her. She came up to the table and surveyed it with appraising eyes.
"I am glad of this chance to speak with you alone, for I want to explain to you about him."
She stopped with an embarra.s.sed flush. I gazed at her in amazement.
Lillian Underwood fl.u.s.tered! I could not believe my eyes.
"You are not used to us or our ways, or I shouldn"t bother to tell you this. But I can see that you are much annoyed at Harry, and I don"t blame you. But you mustn"t mind him. He is really harmless. He falls in love with every new face he sees, has a violent attack, then gets over it just as quickly. You are an entirely new type to him, so I suppose his attack this time will be a little more prolonged. He"ll make violent love to you behind my back or before my face, but you mustn"t mind him. I understand, and I"ll straighten him out when he gets too annoying."
The embarra.s.sed flush had disappeared by this time. She was talking in as cool and matter-of-fact manner as if she had been discussing the defection of a cook.
My first emotion was resentment against my husband.
Why, I asked myself pa.s.sionately, had d.i.c.ky insisted upon my friendship with these people? Suppose they were his most intimate friends? I was his wife, and I had nothing whatever in common with them. Knowing them as well as he did, he must have known Harry Underwood"s propensities. He must also have known the gossip that connected his own name with Lillian"s. He should have guarded me from any contact with them. I felt my anger fuse to a white heat against both my husband and Lillian.
An ugly suspicion crossed my mind. Lillian Gale"s absolute calmness in the face of her husband"s wayward affections was unique in my experience of women. Was the secret of her indifference, a lack of interest in her own husband or an excess of interest in mine? Did she hope perhaps to gain ground with d.i.c.ky with the development of this situation? Was her warning to me only part of a cunningly constructed plan, whereby she would stimulate my interest in Harry Underwood?
I was ashamed of my thoughts even as they came to me. Lillian Gale seemed too big a woman, too frank and honest of countenance for such a subterfuge. But I could not help feeling all my old distrust and dislike of the woman rush over me. I had a struggle to keep my voice from being tinged with the dislike I felt as I answered her:
"I am sure you must be mistaken, Mrs. Underwood. Such a possibility as that would be unspeakably annoying We will not consider it."
"I think you will find you will have to consider it," she returned brusquely, with a curious glance at me "But we do not need to spoil our afternoon discussing it."
VIII
A TRAGEDY AVERTED
It was well after 7 o"clock when the ringing of the door bell told me that the Lesters had come. d.i.c.ky welcomed them and introduced me to them. Mrs. Lester was a pretty creature, birdlike, in her small daintiness, and a certain chirpy brightness. I judged that her mentality equalled the calibre of a sparrow, but I admitted also that the fact did not detract from her attractiveness. She was the sort of woman to be protected, to be cherished.
"I"m afraid I shall be very dull tonight. I am so worried about leaving the baby. She"s only six months old, you know, and, I have had my mother with me ever since she was born until two weeks ago, so I have never left her with a maid before. This girl we have appears very competent, says she is used to babies, but I just can"t help being as nervous as a cat."
"Are you still worrying about that baby?" Mrs. Underwood"s loud voice sounded behind us. "Now, look here, Daisy, have a little common sense.
You have had that maid over a year; she has been with your mother and you since the baby was born; there"s a telephone at her elbow, and you are only five blocks away from home. Wasn"t the child well when you left?"
"Sleeping just like a kitten," the proud mother answered. "You just ought to have seen her, one little hand all cuddled up against her face. I just couldn"t bear to leave her."
Over Lillian Gale"s face swept a swift spasm of pain. So quickly was it gone that I would not have noticed it, had not my eyes happened to rest on her face when Mrs. Lester spoke of her baby. Was there a child in that hectic past of hers? I decided there must be.
"Why don"t you telephone now and satisfy yourself that the baby is all right, and instruct the maid to call you if she sees anything unusual about her?" I queried.
"Tell her you are going to telephone every little while. Then she will be sure to keep on the job," cynically suggested Mrs. Underwood.