第40章

He had passed Mamie in the street only a week before, and she had seemed all that she had always seemed; to-day an incomprehensible and subtle change had befallen her--a change so mystifying to him that for a moment he almost doubted that she was Mamie Pike.It came to him with a breath-taking shock that her face lacked a certain vivacity of meaning; that its sweetness was perhaps too placid; that there would have been a deeper goodness in it had there been any hint of daring.

Astonishing questions assailed him, startled him:

could it be true that, after all, there might be some day too much of her? Was her amber hair a little too--FLUFFY? Was something the matter with her dress? Everything she wore had always seemed so beautiful.Where had the exquisiteness of it gone?

For there was surely no exquisiteness about it now!

It was incredible that any one could so greatly alter in the few days elapsed since he had seen her.

Strange matters! Mamie had never looked prettier.

At the sound of Ariel's voice he emerged from the profundities of his psychic enigma with a leap.

"She is lovelier than ever, isn't she?"

"Yes, indeed," he answered, blankly.

"Would you still risk--" she began, smiling, but, apparently thinking better of it, changed her question: "What is the name of your dog, Mr.

Louden? You haven't told me."

"Oh, he's just a yellow dog," he evaded, unskilfully.

"YOUNG MAN!" she said, sharply.

"Well," he admitted, reluctantly, "I call him Speck for short.""And what for long? I want to know his real name.""It's mighty inappropriate, because we're fond of each other," said Joe, "but when I picked him up he was so yellow, and so thin, and so creeping, and so scared that I christened him `Respectability.' "She broke into light laughter, stopped short in the midst of it, and became grave."Ah, you've grown bitter," she said, gently.

"No, no," he protested."I told you I liked him."She did not answer.

They were now opposite the Pike Mansion, and to his surprise she turned, indicating the way by a touch upon his sleeve, and crossed the street toward the gate, which Mamie and Eugene had entered.

Mamie, after exchanging a word with Eugene upon the steps, was already hurrying into the house.

Ariel paused at the gate, as if waiting for Joe to open it.

He cocked his head, his higher eyebrow rose, and the distorted smile appeared."I don't believe we'd better stop here," he said."The last time I tried it I was expunged from the face of the universe.""Don't you know?" she cried."I'm staying here.Judge Pike has charge of all my property;he was the administrator, or something." Then seeing him chopfallen and aghast, she went on:

"Of course you don't know! You don't know anything about me.You haven't even asked!""You're going to live HERE?" he gasped.

"Will you come to see me?" she laughed."Will you come this afternoon?"He grew white."You know I can't," he said.

"You came here once.You risked a good deal then, just to see Mamie dance by a window.Don't you dare a little for an old friend?""All right," he gulped."I'll try."Mr.Bantry had come down to the gate and was holding it open, his eyes fixed upon Ariel, within them a rising glow.An impression came to Joe afterward that his step-brother had looked very handsome.

"Possibly you remember me, Miss Tabor?" said Eugene, in a deep and impressive voice, lifting his hat."We were neighbors, I believe, in the old days."She gave him her hand in a fashion somewhat mannerly, favoring him with a bright, negligent smile."Oh, quite," she answered, turning again to Joe as she entered the gate."Then I shall expect you?""I'll try," said Joe."I'll try."He stumbled away; Respectability and he, together, interfering alarmingly with the comfort of Mr.Flitcroft, who had stopped in the middle of the pavement to stare glassily at Ariel.Eugene accompanied the latter into the house, and Joe, looking back, understood: Mamie had sent his step-brother to bring Ariel in--and to keep him from following.

"This afternoon!" The thought took away his breath, and he became paler.

The Pike brougham rolled by him, and Sam Warden, from the box, favored his old friend upon the pavement with a liberal display of the whites of his eyes.The Judge, evidently, had been detained after services--without doubt a meeting of the church officials.Mrs.Pike, blinking and frightened, sat at her husband's side, agreeing feebly with the bull-bass which rumbled out of the open window of the brougham: "I want orthodox preaching in MY church, and, by God, madam, I'll have it! That fellow has got to go!"Joe took off his hat and wiped his brow.