’Not so with him. If he knew how to obtain your forgiveness he would do that thing. Is there no way in which you can be satisfied?’
Salome looked at her. The handsome face was much altered, there was a bitterness and scorn in it she had never seen before. The dark eyebrows were drawn together, forming a sombre, threatening bar across her face above her splendid eyes.
’When a man has offended another, he that is injured calls out the offender, and there is an exchange of pistol-shots. Had I here anyone who belonged to me, anyone to stand by me and defend my character, I would send him with a challenge to your husband, and they would fight the matter out on the green sward by the chapel, or better,’ she laughed, ’on the Devil’s Bridge. But as I have neither father, nor brother, nor husband, I must fight for my own honour, or——’
Both were silent; presently Salome laughed a little nervously, and said:
’You may be quite sure my husband would throw down his arms and yield at discretion.’
Salome closed the box on which Miss Durham had been engaged, and seated herself upon it. Then she looked up with childlike entreaty into her friend’s face, and said:
’I will not allow you to go. We had schemed to have such pleasant excursions together. We have been so happy since we have known each other, and——I have not yet had the delight of showing you my baby—my best treasure.’
’No, no! You will forget this little affair; it was nothing. Come and be with us again. My husband is a great reader, and knows a great deal about things of which I am ignorant, and you have travelled and seen so much that your society will interest him immensely. Oh, do stay, do not go away.’
The American girl went to the window, leaned both her arms folded on it, and looked out. She could see into the garden, and she observed Philip there, standing before the eagle’s cage. He had a little twig in his hand, and he was thrusting it between the bars at the bird. She turned and said to Salome:
’No—I will go. There are several reasons which urge me to go. The insult which I received from your husband for one—and already he had allowed me to see that he disliked and despised me——’
’No, indeed,’ interrupted Salome. ’I had written to him in all my letters about you, and—perhaps he was a little jealous of you.’