Then she spoke, and my heart sank. There was nothing in her tone but wonderment--wonderment, not at the story I had told her, but that I should have found it worth telling at all.
After all that portentous preparation--only that!
Odd enough, of course--sad enough, if you liked--but----
"Well, but, Jeff," she said, puzzled, "what about it?"
"Don't you see?" I asked, in a lower voice.
"Of course I see--how do you mean, 'see'? And I think you were awfully stupid. She was _bound_ to find out, and she did find out, and left you, poor dear. It was absurd from beginning to end. Really I shall begin to think myself clever and you a simpleton, if that's all you've been moping about."
As you see, I had not advanced matters by one single inch.
"It _is_ all, isn't it, Jeff?" she asked anxiously, suddenly sitting forward in the rocking-chair. "I don't mean," she went on more anxiously still, "that the whole thing wasn't awfully queer--not quite nice, dear, to speak the truth--but--but"--again there returned that quick look of fear with which she had asked me whether I had not loved her--"but--there wasn't--anything--Jeff?"
"No, there wasn't--anything," I said wearily.
And the next moment she was at my knee again, overflowing with comfort and compassion.
"You poor boy--you poor darling boy!" she crooned, so melted by my contrition that my offence went uncondemned. "Poor love!... And," she looked adorably up, "how _could_ Evie reproach you, Jeff, when it was all for her? Darling!" she broke out, "_you_ ought to reproach _me_, for thinking.... But you were so fearfully solemn.... I thought perhaps you hadn't loved Evie.... _Has_ always loved Evie, hasn't he? And _will_ always love her, yes? Great strong hand!"
And as she murmured thus, again I thought of Louie. It was with something like awe that I did so. "I think you'll find that sooner or later you've got to tell her." How did she know that? Did she know it? Had she foreseen how half-attempts would end, and known them beforehand to be wasted breath?
Then there came upon me the great need to see Louie again. I must see her, and quickly. With Evie still unenlightened, the actual perils of a meeting between herself and Kitty stood forward again, exactly as before. Evie herself might not now wish for such a meeting, but that would be on my account, and not that, if Kitty didn't mind, or positively wished it, she saw any reason against it. Why should she, if Kitty didn't?... Yes, I must see Louie again, at once. To-morrow was Sunday. I must see her on the Monday. I must write--telephone--do something----