For a month she had been happy in the thought that she had escaped from all her troubles, and that she was free of the wreckage of her old life. Now it was necessary to readjust herself to new conditions, and she resented the necessity that compelled it. Her resolution to tell Fanny of this last will and of all that lay back of it remained unshaken as the car bore her homeward. It was the only “square” thing to do, she repeated to herself over and over again, as she looked out of the car window upon the gray winter landscape.
CHAPTER XXIV
“I NEVER STOPPED LOVING HIM!”
While they were still at dinner, Mrs. Copeland was called to the telephone. The instrument was in the living-room and Nan could not avoid hearing Fanny’s share in the conversation.
“That’s fine—quite splendid!” And then, “I’m so glad! I never can thank you! Well, of course, no one knows. You’re quite sure? That’s good; I might have known you’d manage it just right.”
There was a moment’s silence after she returned to the table. She dropped a lump of sugar into her coffee and watched the bubbles rise. Then she lifted her head with a smile.
“I suppose, Nancy Farley, that God has made better men than J. C. Eaton—kinder and more helpful men—but I’ve never known them!”
Her lips twitched and there were tears in her eyes.
“I suppose it’s his nature to be kind and helpful,” Nan replied. “I’ve never known any one like him.”
“The nice thing about him is that he does you a favor quite as though it were a favor to him. He’s just done something for me that no one else could have done; there’s no one else I could have asked to do it!”
She lapsed into reverie, and Nan’s thoughts ranged far. If Fanny and Eaton loved each other, how perfect it would be! Their telephonic communications had been frequent of late; nearly every evening Eaton called her, as though by arrangement, at the dinner hour. From the character of Fanny’s responses he seemed to be reporting upon some matter, the nature of which was not apparent, but Fanny always came from these conferences in good spirits.