She delights him. There is a simplicity about her manner and expression that fascinates him--and yet she is a polished woman of the world. She is surely that, but the difference between herself and other women of the world is--that she is not a worldly woman.
Once, during the evening, Braine is near her, and says with suppressed elation:
"You are charming to-night, Helen. I have never seen you more beautiful. Everet is strongly attracted."
Helen looks up quickly. She says with a little deprecation in her tone, and a little entreaty in her eyes;
"He only admires me as he does other nice looking women, Ed. Indeed, you need not mind. I will keep out of his way, if you don't like it."
Braine listens at first in surprise, then bursts into a low, happy laugh. He covertly presses her hand, and says, as he moves away to make room for Everet, who is coming with an ice for Helen:
"I don't mind, I assure you. You needn't take pains to keep out of his way. I am perfectly satisfied with my wife. I am delighted that this man is so interested as he is--only be cautious, dear; don't let it be too obvious to others--you understand?"
Helen does not understand, but Everet is at her side, and she has to turn to him, and say something, or listen to him.
Her mind runs on Braine's few words, and they trouble her. While she answers the questions of this one and that, and makes trite, witty, serious, politic, or straightforward little speeches, as one case or another demands, she is turning over Braine's words in her mind.
Perhaps Everet is one who can be of service to Edgar, and he thinks it as well for her to be civil. She is a little piqued at his last words--"be cautious, don't let it be too apparent to others--" as though she were likely to permit an aggression on Everet's part more quickly in private than she would in public. It wounds her a little that he should have said so thoughtless a thing. It would be terrible if he _thought_ so _horrible_ a thing.
As she sees Braine from to time to time in the crowd, she notices that the worried, anxious expression she has noted for the last week, is no longer on his face. He is charming to-night. His personality has never so strongly impressed her, or apparently other people either.