Two nights later Tiny had a large dinner. A place had been kept for
Trennahan. He had expected to be sent in with Magdaléna,--somewhat
illogically, as no one suspected his engagement. He was sent in with
Helena.
The long low dining-room of the old house on Rincon Hill had never been
double-dated with gas fixtures. There was a large candelabra against the
dark wainscot at each end of the room, and little clusters of flame on
the table. The girls never looked so pretty, so guileless, never planted
their arrows so surely, as in this room, in the soft radiance of its wax
candles.
On Helena's other side sat Rollins, whom she honoured by regarding as a
brother. On Trennahan's left Ila was intent upon the subjugation of a
younger brother of Mr. Washington, who had recently returned to San
Francisco after six years in Europe, and had knelt at her shrine at
once. He was wealthy, and she had made up her mind to marry him.
Trennahan she had given up during the summer. Had she not, she would
have known better than to pit her charms against Helena's. Magdaléna was
on the same side of the table.
Helena wore white, in which she looked her best; the silk softened with
much lace on the bust. She raised her eyes defiantly to Trennahan's.
Their coquetry had been ordered to the rear.
"We've got to talk, or look like idiots," she said. "I had made up my
mind never to speak to you again. I think you were quite too horrid the
other night."
"I certainly was."
"Was it your fault or mine?"
"Wholly mine--despite your fascinations."
"I wouldn't have been fascinating if I had known. I am glad you admit
that it was all your fault. It makes me believe that it was. What made
you keep it up for three hours?"
"The weakness of man."
"Is that what you told 'Léna?"
"No; it is not."
"What did you tell her--Oh, how horrid of me to ask! Let's talk about
something else. Do you like California better than New York?"
"It will take exactly eight minutes to exhaust that subject; I am an old
hand at it. So while I assure you that I do, and am giving my reasons,
please cast about for a subject to follow."
"My thinker is not good to-night. I expect you to take care of me."
"What greater delight! You are paler than you were. Are you not well?"
Trennahan's voice became tender from long habit. The softness and fire
sprang to Helena's eyes. The pink tide poured into her cheeks. A sudden
intense light sprang into Trennahan's eyes. It held hers for the
fraction of a moment, then both looked away; and ate their oysters.
It was Helena who spoke first. "Another moment, and we should have been
launched into the second chapter. But we are not to flirt; we understand
that thoroughly. I don't think, on second thoughts, that I should like
you at all. You have yourself too well in hand; you look as if you had
been through it all too many times; there isn't a bit of freshness about
you--Oh, bother, I hate lying! I'll tell you plainly and have done with
it,--I should be in love with you by this time if it were not for 'Léna.
That's not the way of older climes, but it's mine: I've got to talk out
or die. I've always said everything that occurred to me. Let's talk this
out, and then we'll never talk for two minutes alone again. If you had
not been in love with 'Léna, should you be in love with me by this
time?"
He put his fork down abruptly and turned to her. She shrank a little. "I
think we had better let that subject alone. As a product of older
climes, I am competent to judge."
"I must know. I will know. Tell me."
"Well, then, I should."
"As much as you are with 'Léna?"
"I should have been madder about you than I have been about any woman
for fifteen years."
"If you know that, how can you help it now?"
"There is such a thing as honour in men."
"That means that there is none in women? Well, I don't believe there is.
But honour does not keep a man from loving a woman."
He made no reply.
"Does it?"
"Are you mad about fire? Or is it your vanity that is insatiable?"
Again he met her eyes. And this time her face was as white as her gown.
Her bosom was heaving. Her skin was translucent. To Trennahan's suffused
vision she seemed bathed in white fire.
"I love you," he said hoarsely; "and I would give all the soul I've got
to have met you a year ago."