She smiled up at him as gratefully as if unused to the tender care of man.
They went down the mountain without further conversation; it was very dark and steep; a mis-step might have sent one or both headlong.
The house was without lights; even the lanterns on the corridors had burned out. As they entered the court a man rose from a long chair, yawning and stretching himself. It was Charley Rollins.
“My God, Helena!” he exclaimed, “this is going too far. You know that all of us who know you swear by you, but you can’t do this sort of thing with such women as Mrs. Volney and Harriet Lord in the house. Sitting up all night under a tree in full view of all Del Monte is one thing, but the middle of a forest, where you have never taken a man in the daytime before—for heaven’s sake, my dear child, have a care.”
He ended rather feebly; for Helena had brought down her foot and thrown back her head with flashing eyes. “I shall do exactly what I choose to do,” she cried. “And I hope Amy Volney and Harriet Lord have their heads out of their doors this minute. What business is it of yours, I should like to know? How dare you take me to task? Take Mr. Clive over to the dining-room, and give him some brandy, and then go home; or stay all night if you choose; there are two empty rooms at the corner. Good-night, Mr. Clive.” And without taking further notice of Rollins she crossed over to the opposite corridor and disappeared.
CHAPTER VII.
Clive and Rollins exchanged few words on the drive home. Miss Belmont’s name was not mentioned. Clive’s feelings were mixed. He candidly admitted that his vanity was profoundly at peace with itself, and that Helena Belmont was the most interesting woman he had ever met. Nevertheless, his conscience chattered at his vanity like an angry monkey at a peacock.
“I feel exactly like a delinquent husband,” he thought. “Premonitory, I suppose. I have an absurdly married feeling; the result of a long engagement, probably, and a lifelong acquaintance.... I wonder if a man ever bothers if the woman is not likely to find him out; I can’t say it has ever worried me much before. I suppose it’s on the principle that what a woman doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”
Then he wondered if he would have sat up all night with another woman had he been engaged to Helena Belmont.
He made his confession three days later, when Mary was fully recovered.