He would never have let a half suspicion make a difference
in his conduct, and he would not have dissimulated; he would simply have
resisted belief. His hospitality had been without a flaw, and if he
had really been wishing Bernard out of his house, he had behaved with
admirable self-control. Bernard, however, followed this train of thought
a very short distance. It was odious to him to believe that he could
have appeared to Gordon, however guiltlessly, to have invaded even in
imagination the mystic line of the marital monopoly; not to say that,
moreover, if one came to that, he really cared about as much for poor
little Blanche as for the weather-cock on the nearest steeple. He simply
hurried his preparations for departure, and he told Blanche that he
should have to bid her farewell on the following day. He had found her
in the drawing-room, waiting for dinner. She was expecting company to
dine, and Gordon had not yet come down.
She was sitting in the vague glow of the fire-light, in a wonderful blue
dress, with two little blue feet crossed on the rug and pointed at the
hearth. She received Bernard's announcement with small satisfaction, and
expended a great deal of familiar ridicule on his project of a journey
to California.
Pages:
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189