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MacBirney started. "Don't say 'that drinkingset.'"
"Really, that describes them, Walter. I don'tsee that they excel in anything else. I hatedrinking women."
"When you're in Rome, do as the Romans do,"suggested MacBirney, curtly.
Alice's tone hardened a trifle. "Or at leastlet the Romans do as they please, without comment."
"Exactly," snapped her husband. "I don'tknow just what to make of Kimberly," he went on.
"Charles, or the brother?"
"Robert, Robert. He's the one they all playto here." MacBirney, sitting in a lounging-chair, emphasized the last words, as he could do whenimpatient, and shut his teeth and lips as he didwhen perplexed. "I wonder why he didn't cometo-night?"
Alice had no explanation to offer. "Charles,"she suggested, tying her hair-ribbon, "is very nice."
"Why, yes-you and Charles are chummyalready. I wish we could get better acquaintedwith Robert," he continued, knitting his brows."I thought you were a little short with him lastnight, Alice."
"Short? Oh, Walter! We didn't exchange adozen words."
"That's just the way it struck me."
"But we had no chance to. I am sure I didn'tmean to be short. I sang, didn't I? And moreon his account, from what Dolly had said to me, than anybody else's. He didn't like my singing, but I couldn't help that. He didn't say a single word."
"Why, he did say something!"
"Just some stiff remark when he thanked me."
Alice, rising, left her table. MacBirney laughed.
"Oh, I see. That's what's the matter. Well, you're quite mistaken, my dear." Catching Alicein his arms as she passed, in a way he did when hewished to seem affectionate, MacBirney drew hiswife to him. "He did like it. He remarked tome just as he said good-night, that you had a finevoice."
"That does not sound like him-possibly hewas ironical."
"And when I thanked him," continuedMacBirney, "he took the trouble to repeat: 'Thatsong was beautifully sung.' Those were his exactwords."
In spite of painful experiences it rarelyoccurred to Alice that her husband might bedeceiving her, nor did she learn till long afterwardthat he had lied to her that night. With herfeelings in some degree appeased she only made anincredulous little exclamation: "He didn't askme to sing again," she added quietly.
MacBirney shrugged his shoulders. "He is peculiar."
"I try, Walter," she went on, lifting her eyes tohis with an effort, "to be as pleasant as I can toall of these people, for your sake."
"I know it, Alice." He kissed her. "I knowit. Let us see now what we can do to cultivateRobert Kimberly. He is the third rail in thiscombination, and he is the only one on the boardof directors who voted finally against taking us in."
"Is that true?"
"So Doane told Lambert, in confidence, andLambert told me."
"Oh, Lambert! That detestable fellow. Iwouldn't believe anything he said anyway."
MacBirney bared his teeth pleasantly. "Pshaw!You hate him because he makes fun of yourChurch."
"No. I despise him, because he is a Catholicand ridicules his own."
Her husband knew controversy was not the wayto get a favor. "I guess you're right about that,Allie. Anyway, try being pleasant to Kimberly.The way you know how to be, Allie-the way youcaught me, eh?" He drew her to him with breezyenthusiasm. Alice showed some distress.
"Don't say such things, please."
"That was only a joke."
"I hate such jokes."
"Very well, I mean, just be natural," persistedMacBirney amiably, "you are fascinating enoughany old way."
Alice manifested little spirit. "Does it makeso much difference to you, Walter, whether wepay attention to him?"
MacBirney raised his eyebrows with a laughingstart. "What an innocent you are," he cried ina subdued tone. And his ways of speech, if everattractive, were now too familiar. "Difference!"he exclaimed cheerily. "When they buy he willname the figure."
"But I thought they had decided to buy."
"The executive committee has authorized thepurchase. But he, as president, has been giventhe power to fix the price. Don't you see? Wecan afford to smile a little, eh?"
"It would kill me to smile if I had to do it formoney."
"Oh, you are a baby in arms, Allie," exclaimedher husband impatiently, "just like your father!You'd starve to death if it weren't for me."
"No doubt."
MacBirney was still laughing at the idea whenhe left his wife's room, and entering his own, closed the door.
Alice, in her room, lay in the darkness for along time with open eyes.
CHAPTER VII
The test of Alice's willingness to smile camewithin a brief fortnight, when with the DeCastros, she was the guest of Imogene Kimberlyat The Cliffs, Imogene's home.
"This is all most informal," said Imogene, asshe went downstairs arm-in-arm with Alice; "asyou see, only one-half the house is open."
"The open half is so lovely," returned Alice,"that I'm glad to take the other half on faith."
"It was my only chance-this week, and asDolly says, I 'jumped at it'! I am sorry yourhusband has disappointed us."
"He was called to town quite unexpectedly."
"But Providence has provided a substitute.Robert Kimberly is coming." Alice almost caughther breath. "He is another of those men,"continued Imogene, "whom you never can get whenyou want them. Fortunately he telephoned amoment ago saying he must see Charles. I answeredthat the only possible way to see him was to comeover now, for he is going fishing and leaves atmidnight. The guides wired this morning thatthe ice is out. And when the ice goes out,"Imogene raised her hands, "neither fire norearthquake can stop Charles. Here is Robertnow. Oh, and he has Doctor Hamilton withhim. All the better. If we can get both we shallhave no lack of men."
Robert Kimberly and Doctor Hamilton werecoming down the hall. "How delightful!" criedImogene, advancing, "and I am so glad you'vecome, doctor."
Kimberly paused. He saw Alice lingering behindher hostess and the De Castros with FritzieVenable coming downstairs.
"You have a dinner on," he said to Imogene.
"Only a small one."
"But you didn't tell me-"
"Just to give you a chance to show yourindifference to surprises, Robert."
She introduced Doctor Hamilton to Alice."These two are always together," she explainedto Alice, lifting her fan toward the doctor and herbrother-in-law. "But any hostess is fortunate tocapture them like this, just the right moment."
Hamilton, greeting Alice, turned to Imogene: "What is this about your husband's going toLabrador to-morrow?"
"He is going to-night. The salmon are doingsomething or other."
"Deserted Gaspé, has he?"
"Temporarily," said Imogene, pausing to givean order to a butler. Robert waited a momentfor her attention. "I brought the doctor," heexplained, "because I couldn't leave him to dinealone. And now-"
"And now," echoed Imogene, "you see howbeautifully it turns out. The Nelsons declined,Mr. MacBirney disappoints me, Charles goesfishing, and can't get home to-night in time to dine.But there are still seven of us-what could bebetter? Mrs. De Castro will claim the doctor.Arthur won't desert me, and, Robert, you may givean arm to Fritzie and one to Mrs. MacBirney."
There was now no escape from a smile, andAlice resolved to be loyal to her hostess. Theparty moved into the drawing-room.
Fritzie Venable tried to engage Kimberly inanswering her questions about a saddle-horse thatone of his grooms had recommended. Kimberlyprofessed to know nothing about it. When itbecame apparent that he really did know nothingof the horse, Fritzie insisted on explaining.
Her spirited talk, whether concerning her owntroubles or those of other people, was notuninteresting. Soon she talked more especially toAlice. Kimberly listened not inattentively butsomewhat perfunctorily, and the manner, noticeableat their second meeting, again impressed Alice.
Whether it was a constraint or an unpleasingreserve was not clear; and it might have been theabstraction of a busied man, one of that typefamiliar in American life who are inherentlyinteresting, but whose business affairs never whollyrelease their thought.
Whatever the cause, Fritzie was sufficientlyinterested in her own stories to ignore it and in adegree to overcome the effect of it. She was sureof her ground because she knew her distinguishedconnection had a considerate spot in his heart forher. She finally attacked him directly, and atfirst he did not go to the trouble of a defence.When she at length accused him, rather sharply,of letting business swallow him up, Kimberly, with Alice listening, showed a trace of impatience.
"The old sugar business!" Fritzie exclaimedreproachfully, "it is taking the spiritualitycompletely out of the Kimberly family."
Robert looked at her in genuine surprise andburst into a laugh. "What's that?" he demanded, bending incredulously forward.
Fritzie tossed her head. "I don't care!"
"Spirituality?" echoed Kimberly, with a quietmalice. His laugh annoyed Fritzie, but she stuckto her guns: "Spirits, then; or gayety, or life!"she cried. "I don't care what you call it.Anything besides everlastingly piling up money. Oh, these almighty dollars!"
"You tire of them so quickly, is it, Fritzie? Oris it that they don't feel on familiar terms enoughto stay long with you?" he asked, while Alicewas smiling at the encounter.
Fritzie summoned her dignity and pointed everyword with a nod. "I simply don't want to seeall of my friends-ossify! Should you?" shedemanded, turning to Alice for approval.
"Certainly not," responded Alice.
"Bone black is very useful in our business,"observed Kimberly.
Fritzie's eyes snapped. "Then buy it! Don'tattempt to supply the demand out of your ownbones!"
It would have been churlish to refuse her herlaugh. Kimberly and Alice for the first timelaughed together and found it pleasant.
Fritzie, following up her advantage, askedDoctor Hamilton whether he had heard DoraMorgan's latest joke. "She had a dispute,"continued Fritzie, "with George Doane last nightabout Unitarians and Universalists-"
"Heavens, have those two got to talkingreligion?" demanded Kimberly, wearily.
"George happened to say to Cready Hamiltonthat Unitarians and Universalists believed justabout the same doctrine. When Dora insisted itwas not so, George told her she couldn't name adifference. 'Why, nonsense, George,' said Dora,'Unitarians deny the divinity of Christ, butUniversalists don't believe in a damned thing.' Andthe funny part of it was, George got furious ather," concluded Fritzie with merriment.
"I suppose you, too, fish," ventured Alice toKimberly as the party started for the dining-room.
"My fishing is something of a bluff," heconfessed. "That is, I fish, but I don't get anything.My brother really does get the fish," he said ashe seated her. "He campaigns for them-onehas to nowadays, even for fish. I can't scrape upinterest enough in it for that. I whip one poolafter another and drag myself wearily overportages and chase about in boats, and my guidesfable wisely but I get next to nothing."
Alice laughed. Even though he assumedincompetence it seemed assumed. And in sayingthat he got no fish one felt that he did get them.
Arthur was talking of Uncle John's nurse-whomthe circle had nicknamed "Lazarus." Hereferred to the sacrifices made sometimes by men.
"It won't do to say," De Castro maintained,"that these men are mere clods, that they haveno nerves, no sensitiveness. The first one youmeet may be such a one; the next, educated orof gentle blood."
"'Lazarus,'" he continued, "is by no means acommon man. He is a gentleman, the product ofcenturies of culture-this is evident from fiveminutes' talk with him. Yet he has abandonedeverything-family, surroundings, luxuries-fora work that none of us would dream of undertaking."
"And what about women, my dear?"demanded Dolly. "I don't say, take a class ofwomen-take any woman. A woman's life isnothing but sacrifice. The trouble is that womenbear their burdens uncomplainingly. That iswhere all women make a mistake. My life hasbeen a whole series of sacrifices, and I proposepeople shall know it."
"No matter, Dolly," suggested Imogene, "yourwrongs shall be righted in the next world."
"I should just like the chance to tell my storyup there," continued Dolly, fervently.
Kimberly turned to Alice: "All that Dollyfears," said he, in an aside, "is that heaven willprove a disappointment. But to change thesubject from heaven abruptly-you are from theWest, Mrs. MacBirney."
"Do you find the change so abrupt? and mustI confess again to the West?"
"Not if you feel it incriminates you."
"But I don't," protested Alice with spirit.
"Has your home always been there?"
"Yes, in St. Louis; and it is a very dear oldplace. Some of my early married life was spentmuch farther West."
"How much farther?"
"So much that I can hardly make anybodycomprehend it-Colorado."
"How so?"
"They ask me such wild questions about buffalosand Indians. I have found one woman sincecoming here who has been as far West as Chicago, once."
"In what part of Colorado were you?"
"South of Denver."
"You had beautiful surroundings."
