And finally, with many misgivings and much inward wondering why Rhoda did not know better than to give Charlotte such an advantage, Mrs. Ware gave up her determination. And Charlotte, her eyes sparkling over the triumph she had gained and her cheeks glowing with pleased excitement, helped Rhoda to take in the invalid’s supper.
The next day they were both in Jeff’s room, Rhoda with some sewing at which she worked while all three talked and jested together. But Charlotte was making much pretense of putting things to rights. She was of small stature, like her mother, and had a dainty figure, supple and well rounded. It showed to best advantage when she flitted about, as she was doing then, with quick, graceful movements, her body seeming to take unconsciously just the right poses and her arms and neck and head to move as if with some pleasing rhythm. Rhoda, who was tall and inclined to thinness and had long arms, knew with inward bitterness that when she moved about a room it was with no such pleasing effect. As she glanced now and then at Charlotte she could not keep a touch of envy out of the admiration with which she regarded her sister.
Charlotte noted her side glances, made instant inference as to their cause, and at once became busier than ever. She had a way of tilting her hoopskirts as she walked, of which her mother had voiced frequent disapproval, so that with every step they showed her feet and ankles, and seemed to emphasize the grace and daintiness of her figure, with whose movements they swayed in harmony. The accomplishment had cost her a deal of practice before her mirror, and she usually reserved its exercise for occasions when she wished to be especially provoking. But she began it now, although her mother was not present, and tilted back and forth across the big room, tossing every now and then to Jeff Delavan a smile, a saucy look, a laugh, or a gay rejoinder. His eyes followed her and he joined in her gaiety with evident entertainment. A dull, pained foreboding began to creep into Rhoda’s heart, but she said firmly to herself, “It’s all right, whatever happens, for if I won’t marry him I’ve no right to try to keep his love,” and held it down and laughed and talked with them.
After a little Mrs. Ware came in for her morning call upon her “dear boy” and when she left the room she summoned Charlotte to go down the hill upon an errand for her. As the door closed upon them Delavan turned to Rhoda with a smile.
“What a spoiled child that little sister of yours is!” he said. “I rather think she needs a lesson, and some of these days she’s bound to get it. It’s to be hoped,” and his voice became gentler, “that it won’t be too hard on her.”
“Well, I’ve an idea,” Rhoda replied, “that Charlotte would be pretty well able to take care of herself and would be likely to give back a better lesson than she got!”
He gazed at her a moment in silence, and she, seeing the look that was coming into his eyes, turned her attention to her sewing and tried not to feel the trembling in her bosom and the warming of her cheeks. “How loyal you are, Rhoda,” he said presently, “except to your own heart—and to me!”
“Don’t, Jeff! Please don’t say those things to me any more! I mustn’t listen to them, no matter how much I’d like to, for I’m not going to marry you—you know that. Give it all up, Jeff, and let’s see if we can’t be just good friends!”
“No,” he broke in, “I shall not give it up, as long as I can see and hear in your eyes and your voice that you love me! You’ve no right, Rhoda, to deny your heart and mine like this!”
“Oh, Jeff, I’ve gone over that, and over and over it, so many times with myself, and there’s only one right way, the way my conscience points out to me! I can’t marry you, Jeff, I can’t, and that’s all there is about it! It’s only painful to us both to talk about it, so please don’t do it again! We enjoy each other’s society so much, both of us, so let’s just have what comfort we can out of being together while you’re here, and not spoil it by talking about what can’t be!”