CONFIDENCES.
A few days later the Davises, together with several other Americans,
swooped down, en masse, on Cleo, and she soon found herself surrounded
by old acquaintances and friends. Mrs. Davis had heard of her arrival
from Takashima, and had come to her at once. The two friends had so much
to say to each other that Cleo was in a happy frame of mind. Sinclair
had spent the former day entirely with her, and had been as tender and
thoughtful as of old. After the first constraint had worn off and they
had grown more used to each other, and the man had settled the matter
with himself that she was the woman with whom he was to spend the rest
of his life, he had called up all the gentleness and tenderness he could
summon. If it was a poor substitute for love, it was, nevertheless, more
welcome to the hungry heart of the girl than the indifference she had
fancied she had detected, and which she now told herself was imaginary.
"My dear," said Mrs. Davis, "you _must_ come and spend a few days with
me at my house. I have such a pretty place--quite a little way from the
city, and in the most charming spot imaginable. The house is large
enough, almost, to be one of our own. I had wings built onto it after I
had been there awhile, and really, it is so much more comfortable and
homelike than the hotel."
"Indeed, I will come," Cleo answered. "Jenny--I want to see everything
there is to see here. You know Arthur likes the country, and has an idea
he'd like to settle here altogether. He says, however, it depends on
me--and I want to see lots of the place before I decide. I do hope I
will like it, for his sake."
"You certainly will get to like it."
"Yes, but I'm afraid I shall get lonely for America and Americans."
"No, you won't, Cleo, because there are scores of Americans here, to say
nothing of tourists from all over Europe. In fact, I intend giving a big
party in your honor, my dear. We haven't had one here for--oh, for ages!
We could invite all the Japanese we know, and all the Americans and
English worth knowing."
So the two friends chatted on, turning from one subject to another. At
one time they had been almost inseparable, and confided in each other on
all subjects. Hence, it was not surprising that Mrs. Davis, with
characteristic familiarity and bon-camaraderie, should dash into the
subject of Cleo's marriage.
"When is it to be, my dear?" she asked. "Sinclair is a splendid catch.
Every one thinks worlds of him here, and--well, he is charming as far as
his own personality goes."
Cleo was silent a moment. Then she said, abruptly: "Jenny, sometimes I
fear that Arthur does not actually love me. I do not know why I should
think so. He is always so kind to me. I suppose I am foolish."
"Of course you are. Why, Cleo, it would be--a--a perfect tragedy if he
did not--it would be dreadful."
The girl sighed. Her words were halting, for she hesitated to ask even
her closest friend such a question: "Does he--has he paid any one _here_
much--a--attention?"
"No, indeed. He doesn't _like_ Japanese women much--he told me so
himself. Says they are all alike. That they haven't any heart."
"Is it true?"
"Well, dear, I don't know. It is not true of all of them, at any rate.
There is one girl I know who is the dearest, best-hearted little thing
in the world. Cleo, she is the sweetest thing you ever saw. I won't
attempt to describe her to you, because I am not a poet, and it would
take a poet to describe Numè."
"Numè?"
"Yes--Mr. Takashima's little sweetheart, you know. Ever heard him speak
of her?"
Cleo Ballard had become suddenly very still and quiet. The other woman
rattled on, without waiting for an answer.
"She has waited for him eight years, and--and I actually believe she
still loves him. She seems to take it as a matter of course that she
loves him, and doesn't see anything strange at all in her doing so, in
spite of the fact that she was just a little girl when he went away."
She paused a moment, smiling thoughtfully. "Really, Cleo, it is the
prettiest thing in the world to see them together. He is rather stiff
and formal, but just as gentle and polite as anything, and she, poor
little creature, thinks he is the finest thing alive."
Cleo Ballard caught her breath with a sudden pain. She had grown quite
white. "Jenny, don't let's talk of--of the Japanese now. I--I--don't
care for them much."
"Don't _care_ for them! Why, you _must_ get over any feeling like that
if you intend living here. However, even if you dislike every Japanese
in Japan, you'd change your mind, perhaps, after you knew Numè. You
really ought to see her--she--why, my dear, what is the matter? You look
quite faint."
"Oh, it is nothing, dear; only don't talk about this--this girl--really,
I--I feel as though I shouldn't like her, and I am sure she won't like
me."
"Oh, come now; you're not well, that's all. Here, sit down. You are
tired after the long trip."
She left the girl's side to go over to Tom and Sinclair, who were
talking over old college days. Cleo heard her praising her new protégé.
Sinclair looked a trifle bored, though Tom was interested.
"Yes, they are all pretty, more or less," Sinclair said, languidly; "but
the deuce is, they are too much alike."
"Well, Numè _is_ different. Really, Mr. Sinclair, I am surprised you
have not met her. But you will all see her at my party. You know we're
going to have one for Cleo at my house," she added.