ii

mrs. welman said to her niece:

“i’m very glad, elinor, about you and roddy.”

elinor smiled at her.

“i thought you would be, aunt laura.”

the older woman said, after a moment’s hesitation:

“you do—care about him, elinor?”

elinor’s delicate brows lifted.

“of course.”

laura welman said quickly:

“you must forgive me, dear. you know, you’re very reserved. it’s very difficult to know whatyou’re thinking or feeling. when you were both much younger i thought you were perhapsbeginning to care for roddy—too much….”

again elinor’s delicate brows were raised.

“too much?”

the older woman nodded.

“yes. it’s not wise to care too much. sometimes a very young girl does do just that… i was gladwhen you went abroad to germany to finish. then, when you came back, you seemed quiteindifferent to him—and, well, i was sorry for that, too! i’m a tiresome old woman, difficult tosatisfy! but i’ve always fancied that you had, perhaps, rather an intense nature—that kind oftemperament runs in our family. it isn’t a very happy one for its possessors… but, as i say, whenyou came back from abroad so indifferent to roddy, i was sorry about that, because i had alwayshoped you two would come together. and now you have, and so everything is all right! and youdo really care for him?”

elinor said gravely:

“i care for roddy enough and not too much.”

mrs. welman nodded approval.

“i think, then, you’ll be happy. roddy needs love—but he doesn’t like violent emotion. he’dshy off from possessiveness.”

elinor said with feeling:

“you know roddy very well!”

mrs. welman said:

“if roddy cares for you just a little more than you care for him—well, that’s all to the good.”

elinor said sharply:

“aunt agatha’s advice column. ‘keep your boyfriend guessing! don’t let him be too sure ofyou!’”

laura welman said sharply:

“are you unhappy, child? is anything wrong?”

“no, no, nothing.”

laura welman said:

“you just thought i was being rather—cheap? my dear, you’re young and sensitive. life, i’mafraid, is rather cheap….”

elinor said with some slight bitterness:

“i suppose it is.”

laura welman said:

“my child—you are unhappy? what is it?”

“nothing—absolutely nothing.” she got up and went to the window. half turning, she said:

“aunt laura, tell me, honestly, do you think love is ever a happy thing?”

mrs. welman’s face became grave.

“in the sense you mean, elinor—no, probably not… to care passionately for another humancreature brings always more sorrow than joy; but all the same, elinor, one would not be withoutthat experience. anyone who has never really loved has never really lived….”

the girl nodded.

she said:

“yes—you understand—you’ve known what it’s like—”

she turned suddenly, a questioning look in her eyes:

“aunt laura—”

the door opened and red-haired nurse o’brien came in.

she said in a sprightly manner:

“mrs. welman, here’s doctor come to see you.”