By the time they reached the first long, sunny
stretch of the road down to town she was so afraid that those
overtures would not be ``misunderstood'' that she marched on
beside him in the hot sun. She did not leave him until they
reached the corner of Pike avenue--and then it was he that left
her, for she could cudgel out no excuse for going further in his
direction. The only hold she had got upon him for a future
attempt was slight indeed--he had vaguely agreed to lend her some
books.
People who have nothing to do get rid of a great deal of time in
trying to make impressions and in speculating as to what
impressions they have made. Jane--hastening toward Martha's to
get out of the sun which could not but injure a complexion so
delicately fine as hers--gave herself up to this form of
occupation. What did he think of her? Did he really have as
little sense of her physical charm as he seemed? No woman could
hope to be attractive to every man. Still--this man surely must
be at least not altogether insensible. ``If he sends me those
books to-day--or tomorrow-- or even next day,'' thought Jane,
``it will be a pretty sure sign that he was impressed--whether he
knows it or not.''
She had now definitely passed beyond the stage where she wondered
at herself--and reproached herself--for wishing to win a man of
such common origin and surroundings. She could not doubt Victor
Dorn's superiority. Such a man as that didn't need birth or
wealth or even fame.
Pages:
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128