Strelsa

“ Strelsa set her lips, not looking at either horse or man on her right, nor even noticing her own mare who was cutting up in sympathy with the outraged hunter at her withers.
"Langly?"
"Yes?"
"Has it ever occurred to you how painful such scandalous rumours must be for Mrs. Ledwith?"
"Can I help them?"
Strelsa said, thoughtfully: "What a horrible thing for a woman! It was generous of your aunt to show people what she thought of such cruel stories."
"Do you think," he said sneeringly, "that my excellent aunt was inspired by any such motive? ”

“ He's bad all through I tell you——"
"No man is!" insisted Strelsa.
"What?"
"No man is. The great masters of fiction always ascribe at least one virtue to their most infamous creations——"
"Oh, Strelsa, you talk like a pan of fudge! I tell you that Langly Sprowl is no good at all. I hope you won't have to marry him to find out."
"I don't intend to.... How inconsistent you are, Molly. You—and everybody else—believe him to be the most magnificent match in——" [Pg 114]
"If position and wealth is all you care for, yes. ”

“ Anyway," she added naïvely, "old lady Sprowl has fixed her status and now we all know how to behave toward her."
Strelsa, arms clasped behind her back, came slowly forward from the window:
"What a sorry civilisation," she said thoughtfully, "and what sorry codes we frame to govern it."
"What?" sharply.
Strelsa looked at her, absently.
"Nobody seems to be ashamed of anything any more," she said, half to herself. "The only thing that embarrasses us is what the outside world may think of us. We don't seem to care what we think of each other."
Molly, a trifle red, asked her warmly what she meant. ”

“ Sprowl eyed her with shifty but keen intelligence. "Little idiot," she thought; but her smile remained bland and calmly patronising.
For a second or two longer she studied the girl cautiously, trying to make up her mind whether there was really any character in Strelsa's soft beauty—anything firmer than material fastidiousness; anything more real than a natural and dainty reticence. Mrs. Sprowl could ride rough-shod over such details. But she was too wise to ride if there was any chance of a check from higher sources. ”

“ And I'm so very, very tired of being hunted.
"Strelsa."
"If they hunt you too hard," he wrote to Strelsa, "the gateway of my friendship is open to you always: remember that, now and in the days to come.
"What you have written leaves me with nothing to answer except this. To all it is given to endure according to their strength; beyond it no one can [Pg 299] strive; but short of its limits it's a shame to show faint-heartedness.
"About the man you are determined to marry I have no further word to say. You know in what repute he is held in your world, and you believe that its censure is unjust. ”

“ After Strelsa and Mrs. Lannis had gone, a pair of old cats dropped in, one in ermine, the other in sea-otter; and the inevitable discussion of Strelsa Leeds began with a brutality and frankness paralleled only in kennel parlance.
To a criticism of the girl's slenderness of physique Mrs. Sprowl laughed loud and long.
"That's what's setting all the men crazy. The world's as full of curves as I am; plumpness to the verge of redundancy is supposed to be popular among men; a well-filled stocking behind the footlights sets the gaby agape. But your man of the world has other tastes." ”

“ Or was there another reason?
"I suppose," said Molly, dabbing at her eyes, "that Strelsa can't pick and choose now. I suppose she's got to marry for sordid and sensible and material reasons. But if only she would choose Sir Charles—I think I could be almost reconciled to her losing you——"
Quarren laughed harshly.
"An irreparable loss to any woman," he said. "I doubt that Mrs. Leeds survives losing me."
"Ricky! She cares a great deal for you! So do I. And Strelsa does care for you——"
"Not too rashly I hope," he said with another disagreeable laugh. ”

“ Strelsa smiled without comprehending. Cyrille Caldera was standing just beyond them, apparently interested in antique jewellery, trying the effect of various linked gems against her lilac gown, and inviting Quarren's opinion of the results. Their backs were turned; Ricky's blond head seemed to come unreasonably close to Cyrille's at moments. Once Mrs. Caldera thoughtlessly laid a pretty hand on his arm as though in emphasis. Their unheard conversation was evidently amusing them.
Strelsa's smile remained unaltered; people were coming constantly to pay their respects to her ”

“ Strelsa coloured: "Everything worthy is founded on Truth," she said.
"That sounds like Tupper or a copy-book," said [Pg 349] Molly, laughing. "For surely those profound reflections never emanated originally from you or Rix—did they?"
Strelsa, much annoyed, picked up the field glasses and levelled them on the river.
Sir Charles was out there in a launch with Chrysos Lacy. Chrysos fished and Sir Charles baited her hook. ”

“ Now it was understood that he was coming again; and a great many well-meaning people saw that agreeable gentleman's fate in the new beauty, Strelsa Leeds; and did not hesitate to tell her so with the freedom of fashionable banter. [Pg 81]
"Yes," sighed Chrysos Lacy, sentimentally, "when you see Sir Charles you'll forget Ricky."
"Doubtless," said Strelsa, still laughing. "But tell me, Mrs. Sprowl, why does everybody wish to marry me to somebody? I'm very happy."
"It's our feminine sense of fitness and proportion that protests. ”

“ Molly flushed: "We didn't want one. I don't know what he'll say. We didn't care for them——"
Strelsa's angry beauty checked her with its silent scorn; suddenly her pretty head fell forward on Strelsa's breast:
"Don't look that way at me! I was a fool. How was I to know—anything? I'd never had one.... You can't know whether you want a baby or not until you have one.... I know now. I'm crazy about it.... I think it would—would kill me if Jim is annoyed——" [Pg 365]
"He won't be, darling!" whispered Strelsa. "Don't mind what he says anyway. He's only a man. ”

“ I know perfectly well he will—unless Langly Sprowl——"
Quarren drew his breath sharply.
"Not that man," she said.
"God knows, Ricky. He's after Strelsa every minute—and he can make himself agreeable. The worst of it is that Strelsa does not believe what she hears about him. Women are that way, often. The moment the whole world pitches into a man, women are inclined to believe him a martyr—and end by discrediting every unworthy story concerning him.... I don't know, but I think it is already a little that way with Strelsa.... He's a clever brute—and oh! what a remorseless man!... ”

“ Whether or not Strelsa believed these things, there still remained in her that curious sense of fascination in Sprowl's presence, partly arising, no doubt, from an instinctive sympathy for a young man so universally damned; partly, because she thought that perhaps he really was damned. Therefore, deep in her heart she felt that he must be dangerous; and there is, in that one belief, every element of unwholesome fascination. And a mind fatigued is no longer wholesome.
Then, too, there was always Sir Charles Mallison to turn to for a refreshing moral bath. Safety of soul lay in his vicinity ”

“ He cared nothing for women; he had really never cared for any woman excepting only this one. He would never marry and have a son. He had no near or distant relatives. For whose sake, then, was he standing here in workman's overalls? What business had he here in the basement of a shabby house in midsummer? Did there remain any vague hope of Strelsa? Perhaps. Hope is the last of one's friends to die. ”

“ Langly Sprowl called about six, and was sent away. Strelsa, curled up on a divan, could hear the staccato racket that his powerful racing-car made in the street [Pg 126] outside. The informality of her recent host aboard the Yulan did not entirely please her. She listened to his departure with quiet satisfaction.
"Strelsa, curled upon a divan ... listened to his departure with quiet satisfaction."
Although it was not her day, several people came and went. Flowers from various smitten youths arrived; orchids from Sprowl; nothing from Quarren. ”

“ Strelsa flushed and lifted her purple-gray eyes to meet the little green ones scanning her slyly.
"I am sorry," she said, "but I couldn't discuss such a thing, you see. Don't you see I can't, dear Mrs. Sprowl?"
"Pooh! Rubbish! Anybody can discuss anything," rejoined the old lady with impersonal and boisterous informality. "I'm fond of you. Everybody knows it. I'm fond of Sir Charles. He's a fine figure of a man. You match him in everything, except wealth. ”

“ Quarren laughed again, then:
"Meanwhile this Ledwith business has prevented my talking to Strelsa over the telephone," he said.
"Oh, Rix! You said you were going to surprise her in the morning!"
"But I want to see her, Molly. I don't want to wait——"
"It's after ten and Strelsa has probably retired. She's a perfect farmer, I tell you—yawns horribly every evening at nine. Why, I can't keep her awake long enough to play a hand at Chinese Khan! Be reasonable, Rix. You had planned to surprise her in the morning.... And—I'm lonely without Jim.... ”

“ I knew he was planning to drop in on Strelsa. And I made it such a personal matter that he should come with us to see some fool horses at Acremont that he couldn't wriggle out of it particularly as Strelsa is my guest and he's rather wary of offending me. Now, Ricky, make the best of your time because the beast is dining with us. I couldn't avoid asking him."
"Very well," said Quarren grimly.
He went back to the veranda where Strelsa sat behind the tea-table in her frail pink gown looking distractingly pretty and demure.
"What had Molly to say to you all that time?" she asked. ”

“ And she went away to her luncheon at the Province Club with Susanne Lannis who wished her to meet some of the governors—very grand ladies—upon whose good will depended Strelsa's election to the most aristocratic, comfortable, wisely managed, and thriftiest of all metropolitan clubs. ”

“ He was probably up till daylight."
"He was," said Molly Wycherly; "and by the same token so was I. Thank you so much, Karl.... Thank you, Mr. O'Hara—and you, too, Jack!"—offering her hand—"We've had a splendid party.... Strelsa, we really ought to go at once——"
"Will you come again?" [Pg 15]
"We will come again if you ask us," said Strelsa; "we're perfectly fascinated by the Legation."
"And its personnel?" hinted Lacy. "Do you like us, Mrs. Leeds?"
"I've only seen three of you," parried Strelsa, much amused.
"We refuse to commit ourselves," said Molly. "Good-bye. ”

“ Ledwith and my fool of an aunt are coming to-morrow. Did you know that? Well, they are. And every dirty newspaper in town will make the matter insidiously significant! If my aunt hadn't taken it into her head to visit Mrs. Ledwith at this particular moment, there would have been few comments. As it is there'll be plenty—and I don't feel like putting up with them—I don't propose to for my own sake. The time comes, sooner or later, when a man has got to consider himself."
After a short silence Strelsa raised her gray eyes:
"Has it occurred to you to consider, me, Langly?" ”

“ Answer me!"
"Not the kind you evidently mean!" said Strelsa, helplessly.
"Is there anybody else?"
The outrageous question silenced the girl for a moment. Angry, she still tried to be gentle; tried to remember the age, and the excellent intentions of this excited old lady; and she answered in a low voice:
"I care for no man in particular, unless it be Sir Charles—and——"
"And who?"
"Mr. Quarren, I think," she said.
Mrs. Sprowl's jowl grew purple with fury:
"You—has that boy had the impudence—damn him——" [Pg 120]
Strelsa sprang to her feet. ”

“ She fell silent and thoughtful, reflecting, perhaps, that if Strelsa was going to take Langly Sprowl, her own country house might as well have the benefit of any fashionable and social glamour incident to the announcement.
Then, glancing at Quarren, her heart smote her, and she flushed:
"Come up to Witch-Hollow, Ricky dear, and get her to elope with you if you can! Will you?"
"I'll come to Witch-Hollow if you ask me."
"That's ducky of you. You are a good sport, Ricky—and always were! Go on and marry her if you can. Other women have stood it.... ”

“ He stared into the red West and the muscles tightened under his cheeks.
"Can't you care?" he said, half to himself.
She stood dumb, still cold and rigid with repulsion from the swift and almost brutal contact. That time nothing in her had responded. Vaguely she felt that [Pg 234] what had been there was now dead—that she never could respond again; that, from the lesser emotions, she was clean and free forever.
"Can't you care for a man who loves you, Strelsa?" he said again, turning toward her. ”

“ I lost control of myself—after what you gave me to hope—after what you said—showing your trust in me," he added, moistening his thick dry lips with his tongue. "I lost my self-command—because I am crazy for you, Strelsa—there's no sense in pretending otherwise—and you knew it all the time, you little coquette!
"What do you think a man's made of? ”

“ But he'll go elsewhere for a mate. There are plenty suitable in the world. If you'd never been born there would have been another for him. If you passed out of his life there would some day be another.
"Will we women never learn the truth?—that at best we are incidental to man, but that, when we love, man is the whole bally thing to us?
"Let him escape and you'll see, Strelsa. ”