“I am going to delight myself by seeing how inferior all other women are to you.”
And then his eyes had met those of Minna fixed upon him like a fate.
“Strange we should see her on our first appearance,” said Irene.
“She is looking remarkably well,” he returned, realising and hating the banality of the remark. Then he was silent. Irene noticed a constraint.
“Never mind if it calls up cruel associations, dear. The past troubles have brought the present happiness. You must always remember that.”
“She has improved in looks,” said Irene, with a glance at the box. “The last time I saw her, poor thing, she was terribly pulled down. I don’t think I ever told you. It was on the awful evening of the first day of the trial. She suddenly appeared at our house, and, before she could speak, was stricken dumb with hysteria. We had to send her back to her friends. Strange, wasn’t it?”
“Very strange,” said Hugh, in a low voice.
What could have been the intention of her visit?
To confess? He dared not show the agitation that the story caused him. He rose brusquely, with a desire to escape for a moment from the torture of his present position. Its falseness stung his impatience. A little bald-headed man two rows of stalls off, who was looking with curiosity at the hero of the _cause célèbre_, suddenly met Hugh’s glance and curled up like a shrivelled leaf into his stall. But Hugh had been quite unconscious of the bald-headed man’s interest.
“Why don’t you go and smoke a cigarette?” said Irene.
As he turned towards her, he saw the tender truthful love in her face, and he called himself a villain for deceiving her. But it was for her happiness. Indubitatively.
Still the presence there of the other woman shed a ghastly light upon his honour rooted in dishonour. And Irene’s simple statement of Minna’s mysterious visit, whose baffled intention he could not but surmise, added a grimmer irony to the situation. Before he could reply to Irene, however, the attendant had edged her way to him with Minna’s note. His brow darkened as he read the words. He could not refuse. Besides, Irene had heard the attendant’s enquiry and explanation.
“I will go and speak to her if you don’t mind,” he said.
“Of course you must,” said Irene. “She will be glad to see you.”