CHAPTER XIV
MISS WILDMERE'S STRATEGY
As we have seen, Madge could not resume her old relations with GraydonMuir. Indeed, the turning-point in her life had been the impulse anddecision to escape them by going away. She was also right in thinkingthat this inability would rather help than hinder her cause. If hehad come back and realized his expectations, he would have bestowedunstintedly the placid affection of a brother, given her hisconfidence, his aid, anything she wished, except his thoughts. Whileshe lost much else, she retained these in a way that puzzled and evenprovoked him, in view of his devotion to Miss Wildmere. The very factthat he resented the way in which he had been treated by Madge madehim think of her, although admitting to himself that it might all turnout for the best. He would have soon accepted changes in externals,and her added accomplishments, but there were other and more subtlechanges which he could not grasp. It began to pique him that he hadalready been forced to abandon more than one impression in regard toher character. It was somewhat humiliating that he, who had seen theworld, especially in its social aspects, should be perplexed by ayoung girl scarcely twenty, and that this girl of all others shouldbe little Madge. He had intimated that she had become imbued withsentimentality and aspirations after ideals, and was hoping to meeta male embodiment of these traits, which he regarded as prominentlylackadaisical. Her merry and half ironical laugh was not the naturalresponse of a woman of the intense and aesthetic type.
"I don't understand her yet," he admitted; and he again assuredhimself that it was not necessary that he should. She had not merelydrifted away from him, but had deliberately chosen that others shouldguide and help in the new development. The thing for him to do now wasto secure the girl of his heart, who was not shrouded in mystery. Itwas evident that Mr. Arnault had been an urgent suitor, and that shewas not already engaged to him proved, as he believed, that she hadbeen under the influence of a restraint readily explained by her morethan manner toward himself. "She will have to choose between us soon,"he thought. "She understands us both, and her heart will soon give itsfinal verdict, if it has not already done so."
Miss Wildmere's heart would have slight voice in the verdict. Indeed,it never had been permitted to say very much, and was approaching thecondition of a mute. She had her preference, however, and still hopedto be able to follow it. She smiled upon Graydon almost as sweetlyas ever during the next two days, but he felt that she had grownmore elusive. She lured him on unmistakably, but permitted nonear approach. With consummate art, she increased the spell of herfascinations, and added to the glamour which dazzled him. He mightlook his admiration, and, more, he might compliment indefinitely;but when he spoke too plainly, or sought stronger indications of herregard, she was on the wing instantly, and he was too fine in hisperceptions to push matters against her will. One thing appearedhopeful to him--she seemed possessed by a carefully veiled jealousyof Madge. In his downright earnestness, he determined to give her nocause for this, and treated Madge much as he did Mrs. Muir, allowingfor difference in age and relation. He determined that Miss Wildmereshould discover no ambiguity in his course or intentions. If thoughtsof him had kept her waiting through years, he would justify thosethoughts by all the means in his power. Casting about with a lover'singenuity for an explanation of her tantalizing allurement, yetelusiveness, it occurred to him that she was unwilling to yieldreadily and easily, from very fear that he might surmise the cause ofher freedom--that she had given him her love before it had been asked.Therefore, it was not impossible that she now proposed for him asomewhat thorny probation as an open suitor. She would not appear tobe easily won, and perhaps she thought that, since this was to be thelast wooing she could enjoy, she would make the most of it. He alsoresolved to make the most of this phase of life, and to enjoy to theutmost all of her shy witchery, her airy, hovering nearness to thethought uppermost in his mind, as if she were both fascinated by itand afraid. He little dreamed that her feminine grace and _finesse_were but the practical carrying out of her father's suggestion, to"keep him well in hand."
Madge felt herself neglected and partially forgotten. She saw thatMiss Wildmere's spell grew stronger upon Graydon every day. It wasnot in her nature to seek to attract his attention or in the slightestdegree to enter the lists openly against her rival. During the firstthree days of the week, her chief effort was to be so active andcheerful that her deep despondency should be hidden from all. She wasthe life of every little group of which she formed a part. Wherevershe appeared, mirth and laughter soon followed. The young girls in thehouse began to acknowledge her as a natural leader, the boyish youngfellows to adore her, and the maturer men to discover that she couldhold her own with them in conversation, while another class learned,to their chagrin, that she would not flirt. For every walkingexpedition started she was ready with her alpenstock, and the expertsin the bowling alley found a strong, supple competitor, with eye andhand equally true. Graydon, as far as his preoccupation permitted,saw all this with renewed perplexity. She now appeared to him asa beautiful, vigorous girl, with healthful instincts and a largeappetite for enjoyment.
Wednesday morning was cool and cloudy, and a large party was formingto climb to Spy Rock. Graydon was longing for more activity, and sincethe day was so propitious, Miss Wildmere consented to go. Of courseMadge was in readiness, and in charming costume for a walk. The momentthey were on the steep path he had to admit that she appeared thesuperior of Miss Wildmere. The one owed her bloom to artificial andmetropolitan life; the other had gone to nature, and now acted asif her foot were on her native heath. Her step was light, yet neveruncertain. Her progress was easy, and, although different, was quiteas graceful as if she were promenading the piazza, proving that shewas an adept in mountain-climbing. It was evident, however, thatto Miss Wildmere a mountain was a _terra incognita_. She troduncertainly, her feet turned on loose stones that hurt her, and beforethe first steep ascent was passed, she panted and was glad to sit downwith others, more or less exhausted.
Madge's breathing was only slightly quickened, and color was beginningto come in her usually pale face, yet she had lent a helping hand morethan once.
"How easily you climb, Miss Alden!" gasped Miss Wildmere. "Have youtaken lessons?"
"Yes," she replied, smiling sweetly, "and from a master."
Miss Wildmere also was beginning to discover a problem in Madge; shecould not patronize, snub, or apparently touch her with shafts ofsatire. The young girl treated her with cordial indifference, asone-of the guests of the house. She appeared to be capable of enjoyingherself thoroughly, with scarcely a consciousness of the belle'sexistence, unless, as in the present case, she was addressed. Then shewould reply with perfect courtesy, but in some such ambiguous way. Itsoon became evident to Graydon that the two girls were hostile, andthis both amused and vexed him. He was beginning to learn that Madgewas the more skilful opponent. She was never aggressive, yet seemedclad in polished armor when attacked, and her quick replies flashedback under the light of her smile. By acting, however, as if MissWildmere were never in her thoughts, except when in some way obtrudedupon them, she gave the keenest wound. The flattered girl enjoyedbeing envied, hated, and even detested by her own sex, but to bepolitely ignored was a new and unwelcome experience, and she chafedunder it, not so secretly but that Graydon observed her annoyance.
After a rest they started on again, he with Miss Wildmere falling tothe rear. Before Madge passed around a curve in the path she saw alily on a bank above her, and with the aid of her alpenstock sprangupon the mossy shelf, plucked the flower, and leaped down with aneffort so quick and agile that it seemed like the impulse of a birdto get something and pass on. She put the flower in her belt, and amoment later was hidden from view.
"I hope you observed that feat," Miss Wildmere remarked. "Indeed, MissAlden appears inclined to call attention to her feet this morning."
"I hope the ladies will observe them," he replied; "the gentlemenwill, for they are pretty. Did you not note that her boots are adaptedto w
alking? You could climb with twice the ease if your heels were notso high. For mountain scrambling a lady needs short skirts, and bootslike those that Miss Alden wears. You should see the English girlswalking in the Alps. It's my good-fortune, however, that you arepartially disabled this morning. Here's a steep place. Take my arm andput all the weight upon it you can--the more the better. Lean on me asif you trusted me."
There was a slight frown on her brow, as he began his speech, but itsoon passed, and she said, softly, as she still lingered, "Well, I'mnot an athlete. I should value more a man's strong arm than strengthof my own."
"You know that the arm of one man is ever at your service."
"'Ever' implies more patience than any man possesses."
"I should think so; yet you will find me reasonably patient."
"Everything is a matter of reason with men."
"Our reason assures us that certain things are a matter of the heartwith women. Therefore we hope."
"Men are much too exacting. They reason a thing out and make up theirminds. If they base any hopes on women's hearts, they should rememberwhat unreasoning organs they are--full of hesitations, doubts, absurdfears, and more absurd confidence at times. Have you ever seen a birdhovering in the air, not knowing where to alight? Give it time, andit makes its selection and swiftly follows its choice. No goodhunter rushes at it in the hope of capturing it during the moment ofindecision."
"Indeed, Miss Wildmere, if I understand your little parable, I thinkMr. Arnault errs egregiously, yet he does not frighten the bird into avery distant flight."
"You do not know how distant it is."
"No; I only see that he goes straight for the bird the moment he seesher."
"He might have found a more considerate policy wiser." Then she added,gravely, with a little reproach in her voice: "Mr. Arnault is an oldfriend and a friend of papa's, whom he often favors in business. Ithink my manner toward you should prove that I am not inclined to bedisloyal toward old friends. You have just defended Miss Alden againsta little feminine spite on my part. That was nice. In the same wayI defend Mr. Arnault, whom, for reasons equally absurd, you do notaltogether like. I'm only a woman, you know, and a little spite is oneof our prerogatives. After all, it doesn't amount to anything. I woulddo as much for Miss Alden as for any one in the house." (Quite true,which was nothing.) "You know how girls are."
"Certainly, especially when both are reigning belles."
"The men are always the rulers sooner or later; and I shall givemy allegiance to those gentlemen friends who are the least likemyself--tolerant, patient, you know. Mr. Arnault is coming to-night tospend the Fourth. I must give him more or less of my time--I should beungrateful if I did not--but I don't wish you to feel toward me or himas I should toward you and Miss Alden if I saw that you were togethera great deal. How you see how frank I am, and what a compliment I payto your masculine superiority."
"Miss Wildmere, I think I understand you; I hope I do. Your manner ofgreeting me on my return from long absence proved that you were notdisloyal to one old friend. If you could keep me in mind for years, Ican hope I am not forgotten during the hours when others have claimsupon you. I have ever kept you in mind, and I might say more. If womenhave a little natural spite, men in some situations are endowed withenormous selfishness, and the bump of appropriation grows almost intoa deformity."
"I never expect to see deformities of any kind in Graydon Muir," shesaid, laughing. "Now that we understand each other so well, give meyour hand and pull me up this steep place before which we have stoodso long, while getting over another little steep place that lay in ourpath. I'm glad the others have all gone on, for now you can help meall you choose, and I shan't care."
He did help her, with a touch and freedom that grew into somethinglike caresses. He felt that he had revealed himself almost ascompletely as if he had spoken his love, and that he had received andwas receiving more than encouragement. She did not rebuke his manner,which was that of a lover. There was no committal in that, nothingthat could bind her. She permitted the avowal of his hope, that hehad been in her thoughts during his long absence, and the naturalinference that her hand was still free because of his hold upon herheart. This belief filled him with gratitude, and inspired him, as sheintended it should, with generous thoughts and impulses toward her.What if she did prefer to maintain a little longer the delicate halfreserve that precedes a positive engagement? It only insured that thecup of happiness should be sipped and enjoyed more leisurely. She hadseen too much of life, and enjoyed too many of its pleasures, to actwith precipitation now. She understood him, and yet loved him wellenough to be jealous of one whom she believed that he regarded as asister. With amusement he thought: "She is not even that to me now.Hanged if I know what she is to me beyond a pretty, vexatious puzzle!"
Miss Wildmere's strategy had accomplished one thing, however.Believing that he was absolved by Madge's course from everythingbeyond cordial politeness, he had resolved to carry out her rival'swishes. It was no great cross to forego Madge's society, and if MissWildmere saw that he was not consoling himself during the hours shespent with Arnault, she would shorten them in his behalf.
After reaching a certain point he suggested: "Instead of scalingthat rocky height after the rest of the party, suppose we follow thisgrassy wood-road to parts unknown. It will be easier for you thanclimbing, and you are better society than a crowd."
She assented smilingly, and Madge did not see Graydon again until theymet at dinner.
She was pale, and looked weary. "Oh," she thought, "perhaps my hopesare already vain! They have been alone all the morning. He may havespoken; he looks so happy and content that he must have spoken andreceived the answer he craved. If so, I shall soon join the Waylandsin my native village, for I can't keep up much longer without a littlehope."
"You are tired, Madge," he said, not unkindly.
"A little," she replied, carelessly. "A short nap this afternoon willinsure my being ready for the hop to-night."
A Young Girl's Wooing Page 14
