"What has made you change, Jack? What is it; what have I done? Why did you not answer my letters? Why did you not come to see me?"
"I only learned that you were in town this afternoon," he said.
"Yes, but you had no intention of coming, I know you hadn"t! You would have left Mount Hope without even a good-by to me!"
"It is hard enough to have to go, Evelyn!"
"It isn"t that, Jack. What have I done? How have I displeased you?"
"You haven"t displeased me, Evelyn," he faltered.
"Then why have you treated me as you have?"
"I thought it would be easier," he said.
"Have you forgotten what friends we were once?" she asked softly. "You always helped me out of my difficulties then, and you told me once that you cared--a great deal for me, more than you should ever care for any woman!"
"Yes," he answered shortly, and was silent.
He would scarcely have admitted to himself how foolish his early pa.s.sion had been, for it was at least sincere and there could have been no sacrifice, at one time, that he would not have willingly made for her sake. His later sentiment for her had been a disgracing and a disgraceful thing, and he was glad to think of this boyish love, since it carried him back to a time before he had wrought only misery for himself. She misunderstood his reticence, she could not realize that she had lost the power that had once been hers.
"What a mistake I made, Jack!" she cried, and stretched out her hands toward him.
He fell back a step.
"Nonsense!" he said. He glanced sharply at her.
"How stupid you are!" she exclaimed.
She half rose from her chair with her hands still extended toward him.
For a moment he met her glance, and then, disgusted and ashamed, withdrew his eyes from hers.
Evelyn sank back in her chair, and her face turned white and she covered it with her hands. North was the first to break the silence.
"We would both of us better forget this," he said quietly.
She rose and stood at his side. The color had returned to her cheeks.
"What a fool you are, John North!" she jeered softly. "And I might have made the tragic mistake of really caring for you!" She gave a little shiver of dismay, and then after a moment"s tense silence: "What a boy you are,--almost as much of a boy as when we used to play together."
"I think there is nothing more to say, Evelyn," North said shortly. "It is growing late. You must not be seen leaving here!"
She laughed.
"Oh, it would take a great deal to compromise me; though if Marsh ever finds out that I have been here he"ll be ready to kill me!" But she still lingered, still seemed to invite.
North was silent.
"You must be in love, Jack! You see, I"ll not grant that you are the saint you"d have me think you! Yes, you are in love!" for he colored angrily at her words. "Is it--"
He interrupted her harshly.
"Don"t speak her name!"
"Then it is true! I"d heard that you were, but I did not believe it!
Yes, you are right, we must forget that I came here to-day."
While she was speaking she had moved toward the door, and instinctively he had stepped past her to open it. When he turned with his hand on the k.n.o.b, it brought them again face to face. The smile had left her lips, they were mere delicate lines of color. She raised herself on tiptoe and her face, gray-white, was very close to his.
"What a fool you are, Jack, what a coward you must be!" and she struck him on the cheek with her gloved hand. "You _are_ a coward!" she cried.
His face grew as white as her own, and he did not trust himself to speak. She gave him a last contemptuous glance and drew her veil.
"Now open the door," she said insolently.
He did so, and she brushed past him swiftly and stepped out into the long hall. For a moment North stood staring after her, and then he closed the door.
CHAPTER THREE
STRANGE BEDFELLOWS
When North quitted Marshall Langham"s office, Gilmore, after a brief instant of irresolution, stepped into the room. He was crudely, handsome, a powerfully-built man of about Langham"s own age, swarthy-faced and with ruthless lips showing red under a black waxed mustache. His hat was inclined at a "sporty" angle and the cigar which he held firmly between his strong even teeth was tilted in the same direction, imparting a rakish touch to Mr. Gilmore"s otherwise st.u.r.dy and aggressive presence.
"Howdy, Marsh!" said his new-comer easily.
From his seat before his desk Langham scowled across at him.
"What the devil brings you here, Andy?" he asked, ungraciously enough.
Gilmore buried his hands deep in his trousers pockets and with one eye half closed surveyed the lawyer over the tip of his tilted cigar.
"You"re a civil cuss, Marsh," he said lightly, "but one wouldn"t always know it. Ain"t I a client, ain"t I a friend,--and d.a.m.n it all, man, ain"t I a creditor? There are three excuses, any one of which is: sufficient to bring me into your esteemed presence!"
"We may as well omit the first," growled Langham, wheeling his chair back from the desk and facing Gilmore.
"Why?" asked Gilmore, lazily tolerant of the other"s mood.
"Because there is nothing more that I can do for you," said Langham shortly.
"Oh, yes there is, Marsh, there"s a whole lot more you can do for me.
There"s Moxlow, the distinguished prosecuting attorney; without you to talk sense to him he"s liable to listen to all sorts of queer people who take more interest in my affairs than is good for them; but as long as he"s got you at his elbow he won"t forget my little stake in his election."
"If you wish him not to forget it, you"d better not be so particular in reminding him of it; he"ll get sick of you and your concerns!" retorted Langham.