"She would disguise her anxiety, that you should be gone. Leave
her, and in twenty minutes she and Edgerton will be together."
Such was the whisper of my demon. I did leave her. I went forth for
an hour into the woods--returned suddenly and found them together!
They were playing chess, Mrs. Porterfield, with all her spectacles,
watching the game. I did not ask, and did not know, till afterward,
that the express solicitation of the old lady had drawn her from
her chamber, and placed her at the table. The conjecture of the
evil spirit proved so far correct, and this increased my confidence
in his whispers. Alas! how readily do we yield our faith to the
spirit of hate! how slow to believe the pure and gentle assurances
of love!
Three days passed after this fashion. Edgerton no longer expressed
indisposition, yet he made no offer to depart. I took care that
neither word nor action should remind him of his trespass. I gave
the parties every opportunity, and exhibited the manner of an
indifference which was free from all disquiet--all suspicion. The
sadness, meanwhile, increased upon the countenance of Julia. She
gazed at me in particular with a look of earnestness amounting to
distress. This I ascribed to the strength of her passions. There
was even at moments a harshness in her tones when addressing me
now, which was unusual to her. I found some reason for this, equally
unfavorable to her fidelity. After dinner I said to Edgerton:-"You are scarcely strong enough for a bout at the bottle. I take
wine with Kingsley this afternoon. He has commissioned me to ask
you."
"I dare not venture, but that should not keep you away."
"It will not," I said indifferently.
"Thank him for me, if you please, but tell him it will not do for
one so much an invalid as myself."
"Very good!" and I left him, and joined Kingsley. The business of
this friend being now in a fair train for final adjustment, he was
preparing for his return to Texas. He had not been at my lodgings
since Edgerton's arrival in M--, but we had seen each other,
nevertheless, almost every day at his or at my office. Our afternoon
was rather merry than cheerful. Heaven knows I was in no mood to
be a bon compagnon, but I took sufficient pains that Kingsley should
not suspect I had any reasons for being otherwise. I had my jest--I
emptied my bottle--I said my good things, and seemed to say them
without effort. Kingsley, always cheerful and strong-minded, was
in his best vein, and mingling wit and reflection happily together,
maintained the ball of conversation with equal ease and felicity.
He had the happy knack of saying happy things quietly--of waiting
for, and returning the ball, without running after it. At another
time, I should have been content simply to have provoked him. Now,
I was quite too miserable not to seek employment; and to disguise
feelings, which I should have been ashamed to expose, I contrived
to take the lead and almost grew voluble in the frequency
of my utterance. Perhaps, if Kingsley failed in any respect as a
philosopher, it was in forbearing to look with sufficient keenness
of observation into the heart of his neighbor. He evidently did
not see into mine. He was deceived by my manner. He credited all
my fun to good faith, and gravely pronounced me to be a fortunate
fellow.