Gathbroke surrendered then and there. This radiation of mystery, of
complexity, this secret subtle visit of maturity to youth, the hovering
spirit of the future woman, was unique in his experience and went straight
to his head. He forgot his sister, dismissed the thought of Dwight with a
gesture of contempt. He might be modest and rather diffident in manner,
owing to racial shyness, but he had a fine sustaining substructure of sheer
masculine arrogance.
II
As he walked forward swiftly Alexina turned; and immediately was the young
thing of eighteen and of the early twentieth century. Her spine drooped
into an indolent curve, her soft red lips fell apart, her black-gray eyes
opened wide as she held out her hand to the young Englishman.
"How nice! I never really expected to see you again. I understood Lady
Victoria to say you were merely passing through."
Alexina had not cast him a thought since the night of the ball but she was
hospitable and feminine.
"I was detained."
She noted with intense curiosity that his bright color paled and his
sparkling hazel eyes darkened with a sudden look of horror; but the spasm
of memory passed quickly, and once more he was staring at her with frank
capitulation.
Alexina's head went up a trifle. She was still new to conquest, and
although she had met more than one pair of admiring eyes in the course of
the past season, and received as many compliments as the vainest girl could
wish, few men had had the courage to storm the stern fortress on Ballinger
Hill, or to sit more than once in a drawing-room so darkly reminiscent of
funeral ceremonies that a fellow's nerves began to jump all over him.
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