第42章

"No, no," he protested. "I want to know. Will you let me come pretty often?""Lean toward me a little," Alice said. "I want you to understand." And as he obediently bent his head near hers, she inclined toward him as if to whisper; then, in a half-shout, she cried,"YES!"He clapped his hands. "By George!" he said. "What a girl you are!""Why?"

"Well, for the first reason, because you have such gaieties as that one. I should think your father would actually like being ill, just to be in the house with you all the time.""You mean by that," Alice inquired, "I keep my family cheerful with my amusing little ways?""Yes. Don't you?"

"There were only boys in your family, weren't there, Mr.

Russell?"

"I was an only child, unfortunately."

"Yes," she said. "I see you hadn't any sisters."For a moment he puzzled over her meaning, then saw it, and was more delighted with her than ever. "I can answer a question of yours, now, that I couldn't a while ago.""Yes, I know," she returned, quietly.

"But how could you know?"

"It's the question I asked you about whether you were going to like living here," she said. "You're about to tell me that now you know you WILL like it.""More telepathy!" he exclaimed. "Yes, that was it, precisely. Isuppose the same thing's been said to you so many times that you----""No, it hasn't," Alice said, a little confused for the moment.

"Not at all. I meant----" She paused, then asked in a gentle voice, "Would you really like to know?""Yes."

"Well, then, I was only afraid you didn't mean it.""See here," he said. "I did mean it. I told you it was being pretty difficult for me to settle down to things again. Well, it's more difficult than you know, but I think I can pull through in fair spirits if I can see a girl like you 'pretty often.'""All right," she said, in a business-like tone. "I've told you that you can if you want to.""I do want to," he assured her. "I do, indeed!""How often is 'pretty often,' Mr. Russell?""Would you walk with me sometimes? To-morrow?""Sometimes. Not to-morrow. The day after.""That's splendid!" he said. "You'll walk with me day after to-morrow, and the night after that I'll see you at Miss Lamb's dance, won't I?"But this fell rather chillingly upon Alice. "Miss Lamb's dance?

Which Miss Lamb?" she asked.

"I don't know--it's the one that's just coming out of mourning.""Oh, Henrietta--yes. Is her dance so soon? I'd forgotten.""You'll be there, won't you?" he asked. "Please say you're going."Alice did not respond at once, and he urged her again: "Please do promise you'll be there.""No, I can't promise anything," she said, slowly. "You see, for one thing, papa might not be well enough.""But if he is?" said Russell. "If he is you'll surely come, won't you? Or, perhaps----" He hesitated, then went on quickly, "I don't know the rules in this place yet, and different places have different rules; but do you have to have a chaperone, or don't girls just go to dances with the men sometimes? If they do, would you--would you let me take you?"Alice was startled. "Good gracious!"

"What's the matter?"

"Don't you think your relatives---- Aren't you expected to go with Mildred--and Mrs. Palmer?""Not necessarily. It doesn't matter what I might be expected to do," he said. "Will you go with me?""I---- No; I couldn't."

"Why not?"

"I can't. I'm not going."

"But why?"

"Papa's not really any better," Alice said, huskily. "I'm too worried about him to go to a dance." Her voice sounded emotional, genuinely enough; there was something almost like a sob in it. "Let's talk of other things, please."He acquiesced gently; but Mrs. Adams, who had been listening to the conversation at the open window, just overhead, did not hear him. She had correctly interpreted the sob in Alice's voice, and, trembling with sudden anger, she rose from her knees, and went fiercely to her husband's room.