They talked for a matter of a half-hour in the fashion aforetimerecorded--not very wise nor witty talk, if you will, but very pleasantto make. There were many pauses. There was much laughter over nothingin particular. There were any number of sentences ambitiously begunthat ended nowhere. Altogether, it was just the sort of talk for a manand a maid.
Yet some twenty minutes later, Mr. Woods, preparing for luncheon inthe privacy of his chamber, gave a sudden exclamation. Then he satdown and rumpled his hair thoroughly.
"Good Lord!" he groaned; "I'd forgotten all about that damned money!Oh, you ass!--you abject ass! Why, she's one of the richest women inAmerica, and you're only a fifth-rate painter with a paltry thousandor so a year! _You_ marry her!--why, I dare say she's refused ahundred better men than you! She'd think you were mad! Why, she'dthink you were after her money! She--oh, she'd only think you aprecious cheeky ass, she would, and she'd be quite right. You _are_ anass, Billy Woods! You ought to be locked up in some nice quiet stable,where your heehawing wouldn't disturb people. You need a keeper, youdo!"
He sat for some ten minutes, aghast. Afterward he rose and threw backhis shoulders and drew a deep breath.
"No, we aren't an ass," he addressed his reflection in the mirror, ashe carefully knotted his tie. "We're only a poor chuckle-headed mothwho's been looking at a star too long. It's a bright star, Billy, butit isn't for you. So we're going to be sensible now. We're going toget a telegram to-morrow that will call us away from Selwoode. Wearen't coming back any more, either. We're simply going to continuepainting fifth-rate pictures, and hoping that some day she'll find theright man and be very, very happy."
Nevertheless, he decided that a blue tie would look better, and wasvery particular in arranging it.
At the same moment Margaret stood before her mirror and tidied herhair for luncheon and assured her image in the glass that she was aweak-minded fool. She pointed out to herself the undeniable fact thatBilly, having formerly refused to marry her--oh, ignominy!--seemedpleasant-spoken enough, now that she had become an heiress. Hisrefusal to accept part of her fortune was a very flimsy device; itsimply meant he hoped to get all of it. Oh, he did, did he!
Margaret powdered her nose viciously.
_She_ saw through him! His honest bearing she very plainly perceivedto be the result of consummate hypocrisy. In his laughter her keen eardetected a hollow ring; and his courteous manner she found, at bottom,mere servility. And finally she demonstrated--to her own satisfaction,at least--that his charm of manner was of exactly the, same sort thathad been possessed by many other eminently distinguished criminals.
How did she do this? My dear sir, you had best inquire of your motheror your sister or your wife, or any other lady that your fancydictates. They know. I am sure I don't.
And after it all--
"Oh, dear, dear!" said Margaret; "I _do_ wish he didn't have such niceeyes!"