Page:The Galaxy, Volume 6.djvu/542

508 Mrs. Wyllys fluttered and her diamonds and husband shone. But Roy saw to it that she was not lonely. The Baxters, Provosts, and others of his cherished friends were often with them during the day, and he spent his evenings, as a rule, at home.

"Will you favor me with your company in the library, or shall I come to your sitting-room?" he would ask, when they were ready to settle themselves to reading or work.

For they wrote and studied together as two friends of the same sex might do; talked freely upon all subjects suggested by either—each watchful that no chance touch should wound the other; make him or her swerve quickly aside lest the next step should be upon the fresh grave that lay ever between them. In all their intercourse, Roy's apparent ease far surpassed his wife's. Frank, cordial, always kind and never more than kind in manner and language, he yet demeaned himself as if there were nothing abnormal in this sort of association; as if passion and regret were alike things of the past. No warmer love-name than "Jessie, dear," ever passed his lips, and after the night of the home-bringing, he had never offered to kiss or embrace her. A hand-clasp night and morning; a smiling bow when he came in to dinner and tea were the most affectionate courtesies exchanged. But no distraught lover, at the height of his lunacy, ever studied his mistress's fantasies; sought to divine and fulfil her desires as did this quiet and courtly husband those of the woman who had confessed that her heart was none of his when he wedded her. Flowers, fruits, birds and books were lavished upon her—passed into her hands invariably through other than his but equally invariably were procured by him in response to some expressed admiration on her part, or in accordance with what he imagined were her wishes or needs. Nor was his unobtrusive attention to her health less constant. In the same friendly style he regulated exercise, diet, and labor; saw that her habits were not too sedentary, and that she did not expose herself needlessly to cold, damp, or fatigue.

But for all that, the china-blue eyes of the shallow-pate over there would have glittered with malicious satisfaction at her own shrewdness, had she guessed how near to the truth was her description of the external intercourse of those the world and the church named as one.

"It is nice to be married," she rattled on, growing more and more confidential. "There is such solid comfort in the reflection that your destiny is accomplished. No more need for effort and anxiety! I shall never forget the delicious peace that filled my whole being when I first heard myself called, "Mrs. Wyllys"—appreciated that the irrevocable step was taken. Still, it seems very sudden. It is hardly a year since I first heard Orrin mentioned as your beau. Oh, how angry I was! for I had made up mind even then that he should fall in love with me. I don't know whether you recollect the time. It was the day we were playing billiards at Judge Provost's, and somebody said he was your teacher. Afterward, we began talking about Mr. Fordham's attentions to another young lady—never dreaming he was engaged to you all the time. By the way, my dear, upright, kind-hearted husband charged me to tell you that that was all a mistake."

"What was a mistake?"

Jessie looked up, arresting the swift, even motion of her fingers.

"Why, the story of Mr. Fordham's engagement to Maria Dunn, a young lady in our town."