CHAPTER XIV
The day of his dinner having arrived, Hayden found himself turned fromhis own doors by the ruthless Kitty and adrift upon the world.
"Yes, you've simply got to go," she said firmly in reply to hisprotestations. "The decorators will be here any minute and then we'llbegin to do things. You'll really be much happier at a club or on thestreets, anywhere rather than here, for if you insist on staying, you'llbe chased from pillar to post. You won't be able to find such a thing asa quiet corner in the whole apartment. Now go, just as quickly as youcan."
Meekly he obeyed, humbly grateful that Tatsu was allowed to remain. Hecould trust Tatsu's diplomacy and powers of resource to save hischerished possessions, and ultimately to restore a seemly order from thechaos, he was sure that Kitty and her decorators would create. On thewhole, he succeeded in putting in about as stupid and empty a day as hehad expected, perhaps because he had expected it, but late in theafternoon, as he was strolling up the Avenue in the direction of home, heespied, with a feeling of genuine pleasure, the figure of Mrs. Habershama few paces ahead of him. The prospect of her society, if only for ablock or so, was a welcome relief to him. He felt rather aggrievedly thathe had been the prey of bores during the entire day, skilfully escapingone, only to be firmly button-holed by another. Therefore he quickenedhis steps to overtake Mrs. Habersham, whom he had always found especiallysympathetic and sincere.
She, on her part, seemed delighted to see him. "I am just on my way hometo dress for your dinner," she said, "and I wanted a bit of a walk first.Don't you feel the spring in the air?"
"Winter contradicts your statement," laughed Hayden, as a cutting windcaused her to shiver and draw her furs more closely about her throat.
"He can't deny those harbingers of spring anyway, no matter how hard hetries," she waved her hand toward a florist's window full of jonquils,daffodils, lilacs, and lilies-of-the-valley. "Oh," with a change ofsubjects. "I have been hearing on every side of Mrs. Ames' luncheonyesterday. It has assumed such importance as a topic of conversation,that it is now spoken of as 'the luncheon.' There is fame for you! Whytruly," laughing softly, "my curiosity was aroused to such an extent thatI have just been up to see Marcia and get all the details."
"Then you have seen Miss Oldham to-day?" Hayden attempted to infuse intohis tones, merely polite, superficial interest; what he really put intothem was an eager longing to hear of his butterfly lady.
"I have just come from her," said Bea Habersham, "I do hope she will bemore like herself this evening!"
"Like herself!" Hayden wheeled sharply. "Why, what do you mean? Is shenot well? Is she ill?" He could not conceal his anxiety.
"Oh, dear me, no." Mrs. Habersham reassured him with a smile. "Not ill atall, not in the least. It was only--"
"Only what?" insisted Hayden.
"Only that she seemed a bit--well, overwrought, not quite like herself."
"How overwrought? Do tell me just how she appeared to you. I feel as ifyou were keeping something back," urged Robert.
"Nonsense. You are building up a great mountain out of a veryinsignificant mole-hill," reproved Bea with a smile. "It is quite absurd.I see, however," with a resigned smile, "that you will never be satisfiedunless I go into the most elaborate details and tell you just how shelooked and just what she said."
"Oh, please," so simply and earnestly, that her heart was touched and shegave him one of her rarest and most sympathetic smiles.
"Very well, to begin then," Bea spoke with assumed patience. "Of course,I feel exactly as if I were in the witness box, but what will one not dofor one's friends. Then to be quite circumstantial: This afternoon, Istopped at the Oldhams. Marcia was fortunately at home, and I noticed atonce that she was looking rather down in the mouth, and was verydistrait. She seemed in rather a peculiar state, to alternate from a moodof excitement to one of depression, and more than once while I wastalking to her, I saw the tears well up to her eyes. I, at first, thoughtthat her mother had been bothering her, for that Venus was in one of hermost exacting and fractious moods, but I soon came to the conclusion thatthat was not the root of the trouble. Fortunately, Marcia and I werealone for a short time before I left and I endeavored to find out whatwas weighing on her mind. Not from curiosity, believe me, but because Ifelt convinced that something of more than usual importance had disturbedher poise.
"She would not really unburden herself to me, Marcia is so reticent andself-contained, you know; but she did admit that she was greatly worried.From the various things she said, I was able to piece out some facts, andyou are welcome to them, although, I must confess that I think they throwvery little light upon the matter."
"Do let me know them!" begged Hayden. "You know, of course, dear Mrs.Habersham, that I can not bear to hear of her being unhappy ordistressed, and I should like nothing in all the world so much as to feelthat I could be of some assistance to her."
"I am sure of that," said Bea sweetly; "but to go on. After her motherleft the room, I asked Marcia if she were quite well. She looked a littlesurprised at the question, and then said: 'Yes, oh, yes,' but in the mostlanguid and listless of manners. And all the time that I was talking toher, her mind seemed to be far, far away, as if she were workingconstantly over some problem, trying to think it out. To tell the truth,she really did not look ill; but just--well, just frightened. That isabout the only way I can express it. She really looked frightened."
"But what could possibly have frightened her?" frowned Hayden. "Did shegive you any clue?"
"None whatever. As I say, she seemed to be thinking of something else,all the time she was speaking to me of perfectly extraneous subjects,until at last, I felt that I was taxing her powers of self-command, andthat the kindest thing I could do was to leave her to herself, since shewould not give me her confidence."
"Strange," murmured Hayden. "But don't you think it was probably someabsurd or tyrannical action of her mother's that caused her unhappiness?"
"It wasn't exactly unhappiness," objected Mrs. Habersham. "It was more asif she had had some kind of a shock, and could not immediately recoverfrom it. Of course, I am only giving you my impressions, but it was moreas if she feared something, and this fear, whatever it was, grew insteadof decreasing."
"Did you happen to learn how she had been putting in her time all day?"Hayden's mind went back to that telegram which had been handedMademoiselle Mariposa at the luncheon the day before, the telegram fromthe mysterious man, a message of interest to both Ydo and Marcia. Couldthat have anything to do with Marcia's present state of mind? He recalledthe puzzled and faintly alarmed gaze she had turned first on the Mariposaand then on himself at the conclusion of the luncheon yesterday, andinstead of finding any light in these reflections, he seemed to plungedeeper into the darkness.
He shook his head slowly, completely perplexed.
"Did she tell you how she had put in her day?" he repeated.
"Let me see," Mrs. Habersham thought a moment, "she had been atMademoiselle Mariposa's early in the afternoon; but what she did beforethat, I do not know. Of course, I suppose, she spent the morning at--ather studio."
"She had been at the Mariposa's? Are you sure?" questioned Hayden.
"Oh, positive." Bea lifted her face to look at him in surprise. "Yes, Idistinctly remember her saying so. We were speaking of what we were towear to-night, and she mentioned Mademoiselle Mariposa's costumeparticularly. She said she had seen it this afternoon, that Ydo, as shecalls her, had shown it to her."
"Mrs. Habersham," Hayden looked down at her, his square face set, hiseyes full of decision, "I do not believe that I am prying into MissOldham's affairs, when I ask you, who have been her intimate friend sinceyour early school-days,--what is the cause for the friendship betweenMiss Oldham and Mademoiselle Mariposa? When did the acquaintance begin?"
Bea lifted sincere eyes to his. "Truly, Mr. Hayden, I do not know. I cannot throw any light on the subject. I remember though when we wereschool-girls, Marcia used to spin some fascinating yarn
s about thesayings and doings of her friend Ydo; but since the lady has made herspectacular appearance as a fortune-teller, the Veiled Mariposa, andbecome such a social fad, why, it is simply impossible to get anyinformation out of Marcia. Kitty and I have plied her with questions,because we were both interested in mademoiselle, but Marcia shuts hermouth tight and never says a word, merely remarking that for the present,Ydo desires nothing should be known. The more mysterious she appears, thebetter it is for business. Do you not think so?"
"Naturally," he replied.
"The only time I have ever seen them together, Ydo and Marcia," continuedBea, who was in a loquacious mood and ready to be lured on by Hayden'sinterest, "was one evening when I happened to see them dining together atthe Gildersleeve. They were with Mr.----" Bea hesitated the twinkling ofan eyelash, "an elderly man," she concluded rather lamely.
Hayden looked straight ahead. The words seemed to repeat themselves inhis brain. He remembered that other occasion when Marcia had been therewith an elderly man. His mind leaped to the conclusion that it was thesame--the same middle-aged person with whom he had later seen Marciadriving down the Avenue, and Horace Penfield had smiled and made someoffensive remark about the rich uncle from Australia. He felt convincedthat this was the man who had sent Ydo the telegram the day before, forYdo knew him. Had he, Robert, not seen him at her apartment? The demon ofjealousy began its diabolical whisperings, a mist seemed to float beforeHayden's eyes; but with all the strength of his nature, he refused tolisten. This demon was a visitor that he was resolved not to admit, nomatter how insistent its demands. Had he not promised Marcia his heart'sfealty? Had he not vowed to himself that no matter what mysteriesencompassed and enmeshed her, he would believe and never doubt? And heagain determined with all the strength of his soul to hold that faith sohigh and pure and clean that it should never know the stain of suspicion.
"We are making too much of this matter," said Bea resolutely, afterstealing a glance at Hayden's face. "It is a pity that a person can'tindulge in a mood now and then without having it subjected to anelaborate analysis by his friends. Marcia will appear to-night perfectlyradiant, I am sure, and you and I will feel like idiots. Do you know, Iquite reproached her for going to that luncheon yesterday. Why on earthshould she further any of Mrs. Ames' plans? I told her so frankly; butshe only smiled and said that it was trivial to notice such things. Thateven if Mrs. Ames had been rather catty, Wilfred had always been anespecially good friend of hers, and since she didn't believe in bearingmalice and harboring grievances, she was only too willing to be persuadedto go.
"But what every one is frantic to know is, what did it all mean? Whyreally, there are two decided factions. One says it means that Mrs. Ameshas capitulated and that she took this method of announcing thewithdrawal of all opposition to an engagement between Wilfred and Marcia,and merely invited the Mariposa to show how foolish was the gossip aboutWilfred's devotion to her. The other faction asserts that there is reallysomething in all this talk about Wilfred's infatuation for MademoiselleMariposa, and that his mother countenances it and took this method ofshowing the world her approval of his choice. But every one is utterly atsea. No one knows really what to think. So you may fancy how tongues arewagging.
"But good gracious! if I'm to be at your dinner on time, I've got to behurrying home, don't you think? Look at that darkening sky! By the way, Ihope Edith Symmes will not spoil the effect of everything with someterrible gown. Horace Penfield says that he has seen it and that it isthe most awful thing she has yet perpetrated."
Hayden could not forbear laughing. "Horace misled you," he said, "he toldus all about it at the luncheon yesterday. He had just been at herdressmaker's with her to look at it. He says it is really the mostatrocious thing he has ever seen; but," triumphantly, "it will not gracemy humble dinner. It is being saved for a far more importantoccasion--your ball."
"Oh, my goodness!" gasped Bea. "Well," firmly, "I shall put a flea inEdith's ear. She must call a halt. She is simply letting that crazyimagination of hers run rampant. I shall speak to her to-night."
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