[XVI]
BEHIND THE ENEMY’S BACK
As she turned and came into the room again, Jane Loring met her in the middle of the rug, seized her in her arms, kissed her rapturously on both cheeks, and confessed, though not without some hesitation, the object of her visit. Nellie Pennington led her to a divan near the window, and seated there holding one of her visitor’s hands in both of hers, listened enchanted to the full tale of Jane’s romance. Her delight was undisguised, for Nina Jaffray’s rather frigid exit had already been forgotten by them both.
“Oh, Nellie, I’m so happy. I simply had to tell somebody. I wanted to come here yesterday, but I couldn’t muster up the courage.”
“And I’m not really ‘odious’?” asked Mrs. Pennington.
“No, no,” laughed Jane. “You’re a sister to the angels. I hated him, Nellie, that night. I would have died rather than let him know I cared for him—and yet—I did let him know it——”
“Love and hate are first cousins. Love hates because it’s afraid, Jane.”
“Yes, that’s true. I was afraid of myself—of him——”
“Not now?”
“No,” proudly. “Not even of Fate itself. We’ll face whatever is to come—together. I believe in him—utterly.”