XVIII
Sophy Gerard sat in the little back room of Louise's house, which thelatter called her den, but which she seldom entered. The little actresswas looking very trim and neat in a simple blue-serge costume whichfitted her to perfection, her hair very primly arranged and tied up witha bow. She had a pen in her mouth, there was a sheaf of bills beforeher, and an open housekeeping-book lay on her knee. She had been busyfor the last half-hour making calculations, the result of which hadbrought a frown to her face.
"There is no doubt about it," she decided. "Louise is extravagant!"
The door opened, and Louise herself, in a gray morning gown of some softmaterial, with a bunch of deep-red roses at her waist, looked into theroom.
"Why, little girl," she exclaimed, "how long have you been here?"
"All the morning," Sophy replied. "I took the dogs out, and then Istarted on your housekeeping-book and the bills. Your checks will haveto be larger than ever this month, Louise, and I don't see how you canpossibly draw them unless you go and see your bankers first."
Louise threw herself into an easy chair.
"Dear me!" she sighed. "I thought I had been so careful!"
"How can you talk about being careful?" Sophy protested, tapping thelittle pile of bills with her forefinger. "You seem to have had enoughasparagus and strawberries every day for at least half a dozen people.As for the butcher, I am going this afternoon to tell him exactly what Ithink of him. And there are several matters here," she went on,"concerning which you must really talk to the cook yourself. Forinstance--"
"Oh, please don't!" Louise broke in. "I know I am extravagant. I supposeI always shall be; but if there is one thing in the world I will not do,it is talk to the cook! She might insist upon going, and I have neverknown any one who made such entrees. Remember, child, it will be fullsalary in a fortnight's time."
"You will have to go and see your bankers, anyhow," Sophy declared."It's no use my writing out these checks for you. Unless you have paidin some money I don't know anything about, you seem to be overdrawnalready."
"I will see to that," Louise promised. "The bank manager is such acharming person. Besides, what are banks for but to oblige theirclients? How pale you look, little girl! Were you not late last night?"
Sophy swung round in her place.
"I am all right. I spent the evening in my rooms and went to bed ateleven o'clock. Who's lunching with you? I see the table is laid fortwo."
Louise glanced at the clock upon the mantelpiece.
"Mr. Strangewey," she replied. "I suppose he will be here in a minute ortwo."
Sophy dropped the housekeeping-book and jumped up.
"I'd better go, then."
"Of course not," Louise answered. "You must stay to lunch. Ring the belland tell them to lay a place for you. Afterward, if you like, you maycome in here and finish brooding over these wretched bills while Mr.Strangewey talks to me."
Sophy came suddenly across the room and sank on the floor at Louise'sfeet.
"What are you going to do about Mr. Strangewey, Louise?" she askedwistfully.
"What am I going to do about him?"
"He is in love with you," Sophy continued. "I am sure--I am almost sureof it."
Louise's laugh was unconvincing.
"I do not think," she said, "that he quite knows what it means to be inlove."
Sophy suddenly clasped her friend's knees.
"Dear," she whispered, "perhaps I am a little fool, but tell me,please!"
Louise, for a moment, was startled. Then she leaned forward and kissedthe eager, upturned face.
"You foolish child!" she exclaimed. "I believe that you have beenworrying. Why do you think so much about other people?"
"Please tell me," Sophy begged. "I want to understand how things reallyare between you and John Strangewey. Are you in love with him?"
Louise's eyes were soft and dreamy.
"I wish I knew," she answered. "If I am, then there are things in lifemore wonderful than I have ever dreamed of. He doesn't live in ourworld--and our world, as you know, has its grip. He knows nothing aboutmy art, and you can guess what life would be to me without that. Whatfuture could there be for him and for me together? I cannot remakemyself."
There was something in Sophy's face which was almost like wonder.
"So this is the meaning of the change in you, Louise! I knew thatsomething had happened. You have seemed so different for the last fewmonths."
Louise nodded.
"London has never been the same place to me since I first met him inCumberland," she admitted. "Sometimes I think I am--to use your ownwords--in love with John. Sometimes I feel it is just a queer,indistinct, but passionate appreciation of the abstract beauty of thelife he seems to stand for."
"Is he really so good, I wonder?" Sophy asked pensively.
"I do not know," Louise sighed. "I only know that when I first talked tohim, he seemed different from any man I have ever spoken with in mylife. I suppose there are few temptations up there, and they keep nearerto the big things. Sometimes I wonder, Sophy, if it was not very wrongof me to draw him away from it all!"
"Rubbish!" Sophy declared. "If he is good, he can prove it and know ithere. He will come to know the truth about himself. Besides, it isn'teverything to possess the standard virtues. Louise, he will be here in aminute. You want to be left alone with him. What are you going to saywhen he asks you what you know he will ask you?"
Louise looked down at her.
"Dear," she said, "I wish I could tell you. I do not know. That is thestrange, troublesome part of it--I do not know!"
"Will you promise me something?" Sophy begged. "Promise me that if Istay in here quietly until after he has gone, you will come and tellme!"
Louise leaned a little downward as if to look into her friend's face.Sophy suddenly dropped her eyes, and the color rose to the roots of herhair. There was a knock at the door, and the parlor maid entered.
"Mr. Strangewey, madam," she announced.
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