At Home with the Jardines

n at my bridesmaid's dinner, but it w

our the first and most of his attentions. It is her due, and no matter whether he likes her or hates her; no matter if he is already in love with another girl, or sees one there that

ught, and so I think

e invited Flora Forsyth t

e she asked to come. One can't refuse a req

supposed to do when larking. She had no sense of humour, and I simply could not think of her as up to any mischief. That is why, when she said she had fallen in love with me, I believed her. She knew I was to have Cary for my only attenda

est man. He, too, was Aubrey's so

ween the two which made him fair game for a designing girl. He was bett

ing, and had become involved in a lawsuit of such dimensions and such hopeless duration t

t him to work, and made a man of him. He never believed that he would inherit a dollar of

at Artie was pursued rather more than most eligible young men. This pursuit had made him wary and cautious. Had he been more introspective, it would have embittered him; but it shows his amiable modesty whe

ry of men can be caught napping by the right kind of cleverness, and which

two glorious years of victory, and, like most men who gloried in the companionship of athletic girls, he elected to fall in love with Flora, who, the firs

ourted, and flattered. She had only to express a wish to have it granted, yet, strange anomaly, she

offered first, or else she offered things you couldn't possibly want. And as to offering to do things for you, I never saw her equal at the formula, "I am going down-town. Can't I do something for you?" Yet if you by any chance made the mistake of saying, "That's awfully good of you. I would like three yards of French nainsook," in half an hour Flora would come in with t

posed upon you, Flora had a way of looking at you with what I called the "dog look,"-a humble, faithful, adoring, "don't-kick-me-because-I-love-yo

pect to be taken up. I suppose it isn't in human nature any more to be helpful to a friend. The answer to that q

ul, and brilliant, but her innocent eyes and baby ways made her cleverness

next I find myself setting her forth as I found her after Cary and Aubrey had set a trap to make me see her in her true light. They were obliged to set a trap, for m

er cleverness showed most. It was not that she really did everything, and did it perfectly. It was that she never attempted anything which she had not mastered. For example, she never played whist, because she had no memory, no finesse, and because she played games of chance so much bette

ain I think I am a perfect fool. And th

ook, but this is a record of real life, and real life does not happen in finished chapters.

verybody the fool I made of myself, and that exhibition I prefer to keep as much to myself as possible. The Angel knows it, and that is bad enough. So that is why I mu

t as a human document, I must set down faithfully how I came to be d

very begin

ry of men have sometimes a powerful attraction for the most superior of girls, and Arthur Beguelin was much above the ordinary, in looks, manners, breeding, and wealth. He was, a

ittle,-at first, but after I thought about it, I said

two girls be in

here is no doubt in the world that they shoul

have begun in the middle like that, but after all, if you do begin in the

covered it for myself, I shall not be betraying their confidence to say t

e," said

re Flora Forsyth a

xclaimed the Angel

o me she is one of the most fascinating creatures I e

lah would have made a fool of you

is no Delil

" said the An

n his Morris chair a

tly he

cleverness is full of ozone, while Flora's is permeated with a narcotic.

at?" I said, in affrigh

ted the Angel, slo

xpressed even a settled dislike of any

d said it before. The fact is, I've-well, I've i

thout speaking, a kind, wistful look which completely undid me, and made me resolved never, never again to do a

ery much?" he s

ke her, Aubrey-she likes you so much-don't smile that way. You don't do her justice. Indeed you don't. Why, she is the deares

isit you, if that's the way

ade such a fuss that their wives would have felt ob

to invite her?" he

a good long talk with my husband,

ng I saw that Artie was ver

me to sit with the family,

ved me so she felt as if she were losing a sister, and tha

ned and I f

ed her, you sil

eat it, but it read as if she

" said the Angel.

ht," it means that I am all wrong,

hat I am just like a stray dog. A pat on the head

ial than that to make Bee follow anybo

neglected Cary. Then, Cary being so spoiled by being rich and courted and flattered, was piqued into trying to make him notice her, which old stupid Artie refused to do, but tagged around after Flora as if she had hypnotiz

in sudden

"I said that neither h

y gri

d her love, not blushingly, but tumultuously, braze

Aubrey had exactl

in self-extenuation, "so she can't

fully. "She'll tell me herse

told me, so we felt at liber

e d

to do. I said I didn't know. Then what do you think she did? Cary ask

grinned. He s

in a game of chess. Cary Farquhar is the choices

e off-to show me that she d

his head and smi

she come?

t we

ulled at

hing doing here next

s someth

Mary that I was go

cook, but Mary was such a mother to me that I

it, Miss

. Have you ever hea

ece?" she asked, in the conversational t

!" I

icture, took it down, look

ntatively, "what d

that I dodged. "I think she is a little blister-that's what I thin

ht it on myself. Therefore I saved my breath, put on my hat, and went out, ruminati

s possible, I purchased at least a dozen sorts of fine French marma

y with some misgivings, and showed her the things I had bought. To my surprise, Mary assented joyfully. I never knew why until after Flora left. Then Mary told me. I even selected the

r. No one had ever slept in that bed, fluttered those curtain

e and gold loveliness! It gave me thrills of

n as day when I came to think about it. I was Cary's champion, Cary's friend, and intended Cary to win. Why, therefore, had I permitted myself to be inveigled into asking Flora to visit me, under the supposition that I was going to help her? It was not because Ca

or was I a weak fool to be fl

yself as a weak fool, even

t sight, as was natural. Cary admitt

or that evening alone, to the maid of honour-he can't escape it-it is his fate. Common civility should have chained him to my chariot wheels, bu

said

pretends to care for you. I know. Oh, you may laugh and think I am jealous or insane or anything you like. Well, then, I am jealous, for I love you better than anybody in the world, and I want you to love me in the same way. I lov

he was a good actress, and

l warmth and luxuriance, and never paused to quarrel with its effulgence. While dear old Cary let her actions speak, and seldom put her affection for me into words. But she had been on the eve of sailing for a winter in Egypt w

s, and fortune-hunters had made her suspicious and cynical. Only Aubrey and I kn

did to make me uncomfo

ut Artie'

ything about it, from its inception. She told me she had even read half a dozen of her uncle's law-books, which bore upon the knotty points Artie had described to her. Instead of arousing his suspicions of mercenary motives, her innocent manner and flowerlike face deceived him into believing

be inveigled into expressing an opinion about it one way or the other. Her pride revolted

ut on her spectacles be

gave all three of us. I

or

lainness, her voice soft and deprecating, and her manner deferential in the extreme. She was always

ied to discover how far things seemed to have progressed, for

others were to be the Jimmies, Bee, and three more persons so insignificant, so vapid, so entirely not worth describing that, in a

without it, and I did not realize until afterward how quickly Flora accepted her fate, and curled herself up luxuriou

nd I could do nothing. I was surprised at her confiding such details to a

everything was all right, for Mary was so jealous she refused to let me engage an ass

sh Mary intended to use, and all the extra silver, were carefully placed on top of the laundry-tubs. Mary, apparently un

n any of 'em, but all the curtains moving just a little. Do they think I don't know there's a rubber behind every damn one of 'em? Don't laugh, Missus dear, and don't look over there, whatever you do. If t

t much of Mary's conversatio

take in the 'peche f

l order out the

ary has a way of being rather conclusive. There was no use in remonstrating or tellin

duation dress-with her snowy shoulders rising modestly from a tulle bertha. I paused in order to let her gr

u going to

r let her go. Then he pushed her away from him almost roughly, and Flora laughed a low, tantalizin

down the hall, running full tilt aga

dancing up and down

d both m

th! What's the m

wailed. "I'm too late

ho

and F

kes you

much of it, if he had just grabbed her and kissed her without a word, for she looks too

she asked him to

old

h hands in his po

he said. "They'

he Angel does not write books

of course, I could not tell them. But I had my confusion all to myself. Artie seemed about as usual (which h

sitting there looking so shy and demure, when two minutes before she had begged a man to kiss her, and laughed that

ng of relief, as if I had found a refuge. Cary flushed a lit

s why he writes as he does. His manner as he greeted Cary was so cordial that it caused Artie to look

ave seen Flora's b

forgot everything else, and bent my energies toward playin

ed herself Superior General to the universe, so she was somewhat disconcerted, when, as she finally leaned back with a sigh wh

ee, does

most Park Lane a

w what you m

Mary standing in the doorway, I ma

he other side of Artie, while I took Jimmie by me, and

h and through, frankly turned her back on him, and tried all her wiles on Artie, which would not have

urn his attention to Cary, but it was so palpably forced that Car

ary-to say things to annoy her-to try to mortify her. At first Cary refused to see w

the moment discontinued. Involuntarily, as Mary's satisfied countenance betokened her complete happiness at the successful culmination of the dinner, my eyes wand

ogether with a whimsical twist, and surre

as she deferentially took a blazing peach from me, and pl

, you little blister, it

ning again,-and Cary made some remark inaudible

I have heard? Were you e

said Car

ned and jog

" he whispered. "Ne

hed and looked appreciatively at Cary, a

as liked her. She feels it without looking at him. She knows it from the innermost consciousness of her be

been wooed by her as modestly and legitimately as she did, wit

before, and I, believing implicitly in the Angel's ipse dixit that Flora and the best man were not engaged, h

after she has safely won him, does make him pa

back and forth between Flora and Cary, without his modesty permitting him to re

s clenched and unclenched in his wicked wish to say something to aggravate the affair. Finally, meeting my derisi

e strength to kee

for the next thing I heard, the conversation

on. The more you have

nd, love is a sacrifice. Yet the

rmingly. "That is a cruel, ascetic conception of love

rst time A

And the Angel brought his hand down on th

hinking she had scored. "And

riage consist of dinner-parties and routs? Or do you think of the man himself? Of his noble qualities of heart and mind? Does not the idea of permanent prosperity sometimes fade, and in its place do you not sometimes see the man you love, poor, neglected by his friends, and jeered by his enemies? Does he not sometimes appear to you stretched on a weary bed of sickness? Can

w back, abashed and a

udy. At a sign from A

ehind me, as I turned,

a

e you ever lo

's murmu

t, but-

liked her, and as we went into the drawing-room she gave Cary one of

rst to follow us to the drawing-room, for as I always

to every word Cary spoke, and

ermitted himself to look pleased, but not quite

Mrs. Jimmie was beginning to look at the c

ner, and Mary hasn't entered the dining-room. Don

we opened the swinging door, a figure holding a chafing-dish in both hands atte

on't look so scared, b

awful peaches did

one,"

you,

How many di

t I finished all the

hat was brandy and kirschwasser

s dear, I came here to rubber at that fight

ar

e other room, I tried to get up, but my legs didn't want to, and, be the powers, they haven't wanted to since, though I've tried 'em every two minutes or so. I've just set here, helpless as a new-born babe that can't r

in silent but hysterical delight. Mary

re we left for her to walk to the si

eyes were fixed in their most appealing way upon the Also Ran, who was plainly undergoing thrills of exquisite

eared to derive much satisfaction from gazing at her with a quizzical look in his eyes which seemed to annoy her excessively. The Also

eloped. He blurted it out to me one day

know! I've been going there till I'm ashamed to face the butler, but I never can see her

or joy, but, mindful of

she'd come, Art

pect that I would be h

plain as that!

ay that you are r

said, with a new earnes

had note

ed. "I'm so glad!

y I want you to ask her here. I've got to see her. Why, Faith, she

t for years!" I

her and loved her hard ever since she explained what love meant to her that night at your dinner. Why, if I could get her to l

the man for her, both Aubrey and I think, but I'll tell

t go in for athletics at all. Well, you can understand it when you look at her. She couldn't get into a sweater and a short skirt and play basket-ball, now could she? She'd be wanting some man always about to hold her things or pitch the ball for her. She is such a dependent little thing. Then she had always wanted

p with the girl. You can do it so she won't suspect that you're working for me. You can bring it

her here for you!" I c

ng down beside my chair. "Scold me! Do! I've been made the real fool of by that little blister. Lord, if I wouldn't like to take her across my knee with a fat pine shingle in my good right hand. Listen! She heard you at the telephone, and knew you expected Mr. Beguelin this afternoon, so she comes to me just after lunch

t," I in

e devil knew that I was going out, and t

hisper. "She wasn't in the

. I just came in a minute ago, or I'd have let you know. Bu

tedly. Then, after a pause, I said, "P

ntemptuous look that I

to go, and then I told him everything.

much, Faith dear?" he said

bominable thing that M

of the house!" I

dn't, but it does do me so much good to threaten to do

m. I started to follow h

e a moment. Wai

nd then, when I had grown white

tell everything, and don'

iged to place her mother in a lunatic asylum, and she was crying for sympathy. Then, as she saw me look at my rug, she said Mary had left the rug out for her to take a nap early in the afternoon, and that she had i

with a fl

orrow. Keep calm to-night, and the next time you see Arti

at does

astride a horse himself, and through his boasting Artie has discovered that

d in a fit of hy

tell you the worst," said Aubrey, with a relieved face. "The fa

o care about anybody else. She is so fascinating I have but one fear, and that is t

"It is far more likely that Artie has already gone too far wi

ering myself, also, that I knew men pretty well, I had my doubts about the strength of Artie's character. It

ay. I went in, and at once, in order to seem natural, remarked upon her red eyes. But it seems t

at some one has come between us. You can't want Cary to have him, or why did you invite me here, and arrange

o speak. Yet how could

as convinced that it w

rey

uite roughly for him.

one. She is a

ly an impulsive, uncontrolled little animal, and mo

g if he only dared, but his way of managing me is to give me my h

e days more, and before I knew it I had consented. As I hurriedly left the room after consenting, I turned suddenly and met her

to a decision regarding her, I kept out of her way all I could. I was simply waiting-waiting impat

ebody in, and before I could speak I heard her say, in that surprised, complaining tone of hers, "Are

ith a woman, and such a woman as Cary Farquhar! I rushed from the study into m

match-maker!" he said, smoothing my hair. Bu

mmered. "If you could have heard h

as Artie who came in?

t him. Then I went to the glass, smoo

u going?" ask

isn't Artie-if she is kissing every man tha

nd that Artie is not the faithle

! How can y

my feet dragged. What was Flora attempting? Did she hate me as her look implied? Did she love Artie as she declared,

nation. To my astonishment I found, not Artie, b

imply stood before them in accusing silence. But my look was black and ominous. Flora gave one swift glance at my uncompromising attitude, and then,

gratulate me?

endered not only speechless, but unable to move by the actions of the man. En

Have you decided alread

sure you

flame into Flora's pale, calm face

ever dreamed she would decide so quickly. An

esolved never to call him an Also Ran again. He did not deserv

stinctly, "you are

rned and

Flora left, Cary

entatively, "what d

red, cautiously

ed at me

and stupidity," she remarked, severely. "As for me

ent into the blue room, Aub

note directed to me. Cary u

ful hospitality. I have enjoyed it to the full-far more, indeed, than

t speaking. Then Aubrey and Cary

ou believe,

shes. There were three of my low-cut bodices. There were s

hing. I si

"but even if you had caught her wearing your clothes or

so that she couldn't

a

I murmured

riously, and lo

you-" I stam

ooked wise. Then Cary an

th her apron filled with the neat little jars of jellies and marmalades I had got for Flor

er got a blamed one of