And then Grace turned the subject, and shortly afterwards left the room.
CHAPTER XIV
The reply to Grace's note, which Mrs. Barham wired back, was to the effect that the Rev. James Barham and she would be delighted to receive Miss Ballinger at Fellbridge on Thursday, for as long as she could find it convenient to remain with them. It was arranged, therefore, that Mordaunt should telegraph to his sister on Mrs. Frampton's arrival, and that they should meet at the Brunswick Hotel in Boston, whichever day her aunt liked to leave New York.
Tuesday and Wednesday passed without event or conversation worth record. Messrs. Laffan and Burton had departed; other visitors came and went, some for the afternoon, some to dine and sleep. Mrs. Courtly's hospitality was great; but she did not resemble the man in the parable, who thought any company was better than none. She was seldom alone, and people of all kinds and all tastes met in her house; but they must have something to recommend them, they must bring some grist to the mill of society. One night they danced, some boys from Harvard and some girls from Boston having arrived; and to see Mrs. Courtly's light, graceful figure flying round with a beardless youth was really a pretty sight, and did not appear incongruous.
"'Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale
Her infinite variety,'"
murmured Quintin Ferrars, as he watched her.
"Yes," Grace replied, "I never knew so many-sided a human being. Nothing seems to come amiss to her—except unkindness." She had grown really fond of her hostess, though two characters more opposed it would have been hard to find.
Since Paul Barham's departure Ferrars had found many opportunities of being alone with Grace, and, even after Mrs. Courtly's revelations, she did not avoid these, for, as she said truly, she was interested in the man, and she pitied him doubly since she knew his story. She did not respect or admire him; but he was clever, and, her very outspoken criticism of his opinions not being taken amiss, it was just possible she might exercise some beneficial influence over him. So he had himself declared, and what woman is there who would refuse to believe such a declaration? After Thursday they might probably never meet again. If she could do him any good, if any words of hers could alter the current of this unhappy man's feelings towards his fellow-men, she must spare no pains, during the short time that was left her, to effect this.
So when, on that Thursday morning, he asked her to take a last walk with him, she would not refuse. Overhead was a hard, blue sky, like a stone, with yet harder white clouds driven across it by a bitter northeast wind. The shrubs were bowed earthwards; the brown last year's leaves from the garden, the pulverized stone-dust from the road, were swept along till they found refuge in some corner where their relentless driver could no longer flog them.