“Well, Nell, I can’t recall consulting you about little Anne,” said Kit, but so pleasantly that Helen could not resent it.
“Not about either Anne do you mean?” laughed Helen. “That little secretary person is a nice girl. Not particularly interesting, not particularly pretty, but interesting and pretty enough. It’s a mutually lucky thing that she is working for Richard Latham. If he marries her it will be quite well—and of course he is going to marry her. He is blind, so more beautiful women won’t make him repent it, and his wife will not be criticized as his wife would be if he weren’t blind. She would be entirely dutiful, and of course marriage to him will give her a position that she could not otherwise hope to attain. She doesn’t strike one as having connections.”
“Marry him! Anne Dallas!” cried Kit.
Helen glanced at him.
“Certainly. I should say that it was practically settled now,” she said. “Latham would be a step upward for most women, but no one would dream of opposing anything that he wanted. He really is pathetic, so gifted, so handsome, so polished—and so blind! I was not prepared to admire him as I do. It would be wicked to cross him in whatever he desired. I, for one, would not put a straw in the way of his marrying that mousey little secretary, even if I could, and though there are plenty of brilliant women who would gladly devote themselves to him.”
Kit did not speak. He walked on whistling behind his closed teeth.
Helen broke the silence:
“I’m afraid I was not quite pretty-behaved there, Kit! Spoiled children are so dreadful, and, till I discovered that the secretary was also the poet’s dream and to be Mrs. Latham, I hated meeting her; that’s the truth. I don’t mean to be a snob, but social equality is such utter nonsense that it ruffles my feathers. I was annoyed that I had to walk with that commonplace girl, and be shown the garden by her! That is, until I discovered her future standing. So I’m afraid I was a bit horrid. I’m sorry! And of course Miss Dallas is all right in her way.”
Helen leaned forward to smile into Kit’s face.
He threw his head back and away from her.