CHAPTER XXIV
NEAERA AGAIN
Neaera's attempt on Chairo had proved a humiliating failure, and whenshe confronted Lydia her cheeks were flushed, not with success as mighthave been imagined, but with the effort to escape without disgrace froma situation for which she had no one to thank or blame but herself.Chairo had certainly at one time been attracted by Neaera beyond thelimits of mere companionship, but he had not taken long to discover thatthe glances that tended to bewitch him were no less bewitchingly turnedon others, and he soon put Neaera where she deserved in hisacquaintance.
She was extremely useful to him in his political plans and on the staffof "Liberty"; and although he was dimly conscious that Neaera would tothe end--at every moment that the strain of the actual work wasrelieved--endeavor to bring into their intimacy the element of coquetryof which she was a past master, Chairo treated this disposition withsomething of the amused sense of her charm that would be elicited by apet animal. And this willingness to be amused by her Neaera understoodto mean a tribute to her attractiveness that might on a suitableoccasion lead to an exchange of vows at the altar of matrimony.
But she little understood Chairo when she attempted to force theoccasion of their meeting at Masters's into a channel so opposite to hispresent disposition. When he entered the room where Neaera awaited himthe lines in his face and the fatigue in his eye elicited from Neaera anejaculation in which, strange to say, there was some real sincerity. Shewas truly sorry for him, and she was woman enough to guess that theweary face before her was due to no mere political reverses, for theface was not only that of a tired man, it was also that of a man who hadbeen chastened. She was restive under the thought that the chasteninginfluence could be his love for Lydia, and the problem before her grewcomplicated when she guessed how difficult it would be for her to elicitfrom Chairo any word that could sting the woman whom to that particularend she had secreted in the adjoining room. Then, too, although she wasmistress of her own voice, she was not mistress of Chairo's, and thepossibility that Lydia might close her ears was one that did not enterwithin the scope of Neaera's imagination.
After having expressed her sympathy for Chairo and found that itelicited little or no response from him, but, on the contrary, that hewas eager to know the reason of her presence in New York and of hermessage to him, she launched upon a highly imaginative account of herrelations to Masters, and with her command of humor very soon got Chairolaughing over the success with which, according to her story, she hadpulled the wool over Masters's eyes. Chairo had no reason to loveMasters, and he had long ceased to regard Neaera as a responsibleperson; the immorality of her proceeding affected him, therefore, nomore than if he had observed it in a monkey or a cat.
Neaera told her story in words so rapid and a voice so low that Lydiacould hardly have understood it had she tried, and Neaera felt that shehad scored a point when she had made Chairo laugh. Then, anticipatingthe effect of silence on Lydia, she had handed Chairo some selectedpassages from Masters's letters to read, and as Chairo burst again intolaughter over certain passages in them, Neaera began to feel she mightventure farther. Laughter, especially over an unrighteous matter, tendsto make all righteousness seem superfluous, but when Neaera got nearChairo, in a pretense of reading over his shoulder, a very slight andalmost unconscious movement of Chairo away from her made her understandthat any further effort in this direction would be a mistake.
So Neaera set herself to discussing very seriously the situation withChairo, assured him that she was prepared to sacrifice herself, and witha tear in her eye admitted to him, almost in a whisper, that she hadtampered with his carriage.
"I knew it," said Chairo.
"But did you guess why?" asked Neaera, very low.
Chairo did not answer, but looked inquiry.
"Then you shall never know," continued Neaera.
This was the psychological moment of the interview. She had intended,had Chairo given her the least encouragement, to throw herself into hisarms and confess to him that she had never loved any man but him, thatso great was her love for him that she was prepared now to face theinvestigating committee, tell the whole story, and telling the story byso much exonerate him. She had expected that if there was a spark ofaffection in Chairo's heart for her, his chivalrousness would be rousedby this offer, and he would share her fortunes rather than permit hersacrifice to assure his.
But the possibility of this imagined scene had been dissipated by thatlittle unconscious movement of Chairo's away from her. Then, too, sheknew that Lydia was in the next room, and she almost regretted now thatshe was there, for if Lydia had not been there she might have risked theventure. But that Lydia should witness a humiliating rejection was arisk she could not take. So she had spoken very low and rapidly in thehope that although Lydia might not hear any specific word that wouldhurt, she might gather a general impression that would sufficientlytorment her. She little knew how completely she was, to this extent atany rate, succeeding.
"My dear Neaera," answered Chairo, "you are a very charming andcomplicated person and I do not pretend to guess why you chose to thwartmy plans. But you have done me a great wrong in many ways. Should youdecide now to repair them--in so far as this is possible--you will bebehaving in a manner which, though proper, would hardly be consistent."He smiled a little as he said this; Neaera wished he would not speak soloud, and was even betrayed into a gesture which he interpreted as agesture of protest, but was really an instinctive effort to induce himto lower his voice.
"You are very cruel to me," said Neaera, and she lowered her eyelids sothat her long, black lashes swept her cheek.
"And you are a charming little _comedienne_," laughed Chairo, "and youought to have devoted yourself to the stage."
"The world's my stage," she said, raising her eyes with a flash ofindignation. "And there is upon it every kind of character. But while Ihave made a fool of many I have always respected you, and this is howyou pay me for it!"
Chairo was not deceived by her pretty little air of indignation, but hesaid to himself that though it was a part she was playing, she played itwell; so he arose, and, taking her hand, said:
"I do not mean to be unkind, Neaera, and for anything you do to help meI shall be profoundly grateful."
"What shall I do, Chairo?" she asked, looking up appealingly to him.
"Ah! that is in your hands," he answered.
"You can count upon me," she said, holding his hand in both of hers.
Chairo did not wish to prolong the interview, so by way of farewell helifted her hands to his lips. Then she fell upon her knees, kissed hishands not once but many times, and bathed them in her tears. He liftedher gently and put her in her chair.
"Good-bye, little woman," he said gently, "and be sure that whatever youmay do, I shall feel kindly toward you," and disengaging himself fromher, he left the room.
Neaera saw him leave with something like real affection in her heart."He is the best of them all," she said, "and I might have loved himreally." And whether it was that there was in her something that mighthave responded to him had he love to give her or whether it was merereaction from her own trumped-up distress, there was a moment as Neaerasat there when the little woman did sincerely think herself in love.
But the recollection that Lydia was in the next room came to her, andshe wondered how much Lydia had heard. She looked in the mirror and sawthere the reflection of the very agitation she wished Lydia to suspect,and so before the trace of it could disappear, she hurried to hervictim. Perhaps, thought she, Lydia had heard something without hearingtoo much.