Nancy spent the evening in the Valley of Humiliation, Barth spent it in
the office with the Lady.
“But what did you say to irritate her?” the Lady asked at length, when
Barth, by devious courses, had brought the conversation around to Nancy.
“Oh, nothing. I wouldn’t irritate Miss Howard for any consideration,” he
returned eagerly.
“But she was irritated.”
“Y—es; but I didn’t do it.”
The Lady smiled. Liking Barth as she did, she could still realize that
his point of view might be antagonistic to a girl like Nancy. Moreover,
she too had seen Barth, that noon. She too had wondered at the
unaccountable elation of his manner; and she had recorded the impression
that, when a narrow Britisher begins to expand his limits, the broad
American would better make haste to seek shelter.
“Tell me all about it,” she said kindly.
Barth’s feigned arrogance of manner had fallen from him; it was a most
humble-minded Britisher who stood before the Lady, and the Lady pitied
him. Barth’s eyes looked tired; the corners of his mouth drooped, and
dejection sat heavy upon him.
The Lady turned a chair about until it faced her own.
“Sit down and tell me all about it, Mr. Barth,” she repeated.
Barth obeyed. Later, alone in his room, he wondered how it was that he
had been betrayed into speaking so frankly to a comparative stranger;
yet even then he felt no regrets. A petted younger son, he had been too
long deprived of feminine companionship and understanding. Now that it
was offered, he accepted it eagerly. Moreover, Barth was by no means the
first lonely youth to pour the story of his woes into the Lady’s ear.
Seated with the light falling full upon his honest, boyish face, he
plunged at once into his confession, with the absolute unreserve that
only a man customarily reserved can show.
“It is just a case of Miss Howard,” he said bluntly. “She is an
American, and not at all like the girls I have known, treats you like a
good fellow one minute, and freezes you up the next. I can’t seem to
understand her at all.”
“What makes you try?” the Lady asked.