"Why not come here, Athalie?" he said caressingly.
"I don't know. It would be heavenly. Do you want me to, Clive?"
"Yes. And I want you to begin to put away part of your salary, too.
You might as well begin, now. You will be free from the burden of
rent, free from--various burdens--"
"I--can't--let you--"
"I want to!"
"Why?"
"Because it gives me pleasure--"
"No; because you desire to give me pleasure! That is the reason!"
she exclaimed with partly restrained passion--"because you are
you--and there is nobody like you in all the world--in all the
world, Clive!--"
To her emotion his own flashed a quick, warm response. He looked down
at her, deeply touched, his pride gratified, his boyish vanity
satisfied. Always had the simplicity and candour of her quick and
ardent gratitude corroborated and satisfied whatever was in him of
youthful self-esteem. Everything about her seemed to minister to
it--her attention in public places was undisguisedly for him alone;
her beauty, her superb youth and health, the admiring envy of other
people--all these flattered him.
Why should he not find pleasure in giving to such a girl as
this?--giving without scruple--unscrupulous too, perhaps, concerning
the effect his generosity might have on a cynical world which looked
on out of wearied and incredulous eyes; unscrupulous, perhaps,
concerning the effect his too lavish kindness might have on a young
girl unaccustomed to men and the ways of men.
But there was no harm in him; he was very much self-assured of that.
He had been too carefully brought up--far too carefully reared. And
had people ventured to question him, and had they escaped alive his
righteous violence, they would have learned that there really was not
the remotest chance that his mother was in danger of becoming what she
most dreaded in all the world.
* * * * *
The fire burned lower; they sat watching it together, her flushed
cheek against the fur of his coat, his arm extended along the back of
the chair behind her.
"Well," he said, "this has been another happy evening."
She stirred in assent, and he felt the lightest possible pressure
against him.
"Are you contented, Athalie?"
"Yes."
After a moment he glanced at his watch. It was three o'clock. So he
rose, placed the screen over the fireplace, and then came back to
where she now stood, looking very intently at the opposite wall. And
he turned to see what interested her. But there seemed to be nothing
in particular just there.