“Was it possible,” he thought, “that she who was so devoted to her brother, that she who loved the thought of perilous adventures, and so ardently admired the bold, fearless, peril-seeking nature of the old Vikings, was it possible that she could ever love such an ordinary, humdrum, commonplace Londoner as himself?” He fell into great despondency, and envied Frithiof his Norse nature, his fine physique, his daring spirit.
How infinitely harder life was rendered to his friend by that same nature, he did not pause to think, and sorry as he was for Frithiof’s troubles, he scarcely realized at all the force with which they had fallen upon the Norwegian’s proud, self-reliant character.
Absorbed in the thought of his own love, he had little leisure for such observations. The one all-engrossing question excluded everything else. And sometimes with hope he asked himself, “Can she love me?”—sometimes in despair assured himself that it was impossible—altogether impossible.
CHAPTER XX.
If any one had told Roy that his fate was to be seriously affected by Mrs. James Horner, he would scarcely have credited the idea. But the romances of real life are not as a rule spoiled by some black-hearted villain, but are quite unconsciously checked by uninteresting matrons, or prosaic men of the world, who, with entire innocence, frustrate hopes and in happy ignorance go on their way, never realizing that they have had anything to do with the actual lives of those they meet. If the life at Rowan Tree House had gone on without interruption, if Sigrid had been unable to find work and had been at perfect leisure to consider Roy’s wooing, it is quite probable that in a few weeks their friendship might have ended in betrothal. But Mrs. James Horner gave a children’s party, and this fact changed the whole aspect of affairs.
“It is, as you say, rather soon after my poor uncle’s death for us to give a dance,” said Mrs. Horner, as she sat in the drawing-room of Rowan Tree House discussing the various arrangements. “But you see it is dear Mamie’s birthday, and I do not like to disappoint her; and Madame Lechertier has taken the idea up so warmly, and has promised to come as a spectator. It was at her suggestion that we made it a fancy dress affair.”
“Who is Madame Lechertier?” asked Sigrid, who listened with all the interest of a foreigner to these details.
“She is a very celebrated dancing mistress,” explained Cecil. “I should like you to see her, for she is quite a character.”
“Miss Falck will, I hope, come to our little entertainment,” said Mrs. Horner graciously. For, although she detested Frithiof, she had been, against her will, charmed by Sigrid. “It is, you know, quite a small affair—about fifty children, and only from seven to ten. I would not, for the world, shock the congregation, Loveday, so I mean to make it all as simple as possible. I do not know that I shall even have ices.”
“My dear, I do not think ices would shock them,” said Mrs. Boniface, “though I should think perhaps they might not be wholesome for little children who have got heated with dancing.”