"But why shouldn't it be her name? She had nothing to be ashamed about, had she?"
"Of course not. She just slipped in through a broken grille. She was a stranger around here--I just happened to meet her and--er--we had a talk."
The boy seemed to be quite ill at ease. What did he already owe this girl Marcia that such an innocent confession made him uncomfortable?
"Una--Una--Smith," the girl was repeating. "This is really beginning to be fearfully interesting. Una," she turned quickly, her eyes widening. In the bright sunlight they seemed very light in color, a dark gray shot with little flecks of yellow. "Of course," she exclaimed. And then, "When was this--er--intrusion, Jerry? Last July?"
"She was brown-haired, smallish, with blue eyes? Quite pretty?"
"Wore leather gaiters and carried a butterfly net?"
"Of course. Jerry, I'm really surprised--also a trifle disillusioned--"
They moved off down the path toward the lake, Jerry talking earnestly. I watched them for a moment in silence, wondering what crisis I had precipitated in Jerry's affairs.
Beside me I heard the deep voice of Miss Gore.
"You see? He's already madly infatuated with her."
"Yes, yes," I replied, still watching them. "And she?"
"I don't know. She won't marry him. I doubt if she will ever marry."
"Thank God for that," I said feelingly. She looked up at me quickly.
"No." I realized that I had gone too far, but I stood firm to my guns.
I was surprised that she didn't resent my frankness. Instead of being angry she merely smiled.
"Mr. Canby, it is difficult for many of us who live in the world to realize the effect of luxury and over-refinement upon society! We live too close to it. Mr. Benham is an anachronism. I would have given much if he had not become interested in Marcia. She is not for him nor he for her. But I think it is his mind that attracts her--"
"Rubbish!" I broke in. "Has he no face, no body?"
She smiled at my impetuousness. Strangely enough, we were both too interested to resent mere forms of intercourse.
"It's true. She has a good mind, but badly trained. His innocence fascinates, tantalizes her. I've watched them--heard them. She toys with it, testing it in a hundred ways. It's like nothing she has ever known before. But she isn't the kind you think she is. I doubt even if Jerry has kissed her. To Marcia men are merely so much material for experimentation. She has a reputation for heartlessness. I'm not sure that she isn't heartless. It's a great pity. She's very young, but she's already devoured with hypercriticism. She's cynical, a philanderer. You can't tamper with a passion the way Marcia has done without doing it an injury. You see, I'm speaking frankly. I don't quite understand why, but I'm not sorry."