Beyond The Rocks | Page 6

I shall not be able to come; my husband is
rather an invalid, and--"
But he interrupted her.
"Something tells me you will come; it is fate," he said, and his voice
was grave and tender.
And Theodora, who had never before had the opportunity of talking
about destiny, and other agreeable subjects, with beautiful Englishmen
who could only be--lovers--felt the red blood rush to her cheeks and a
thrill flutter her heart. So she quickened her steps and kept close to her
father, who could have dispensed with this mark of affection.
"Dearest child," he said, when they were seated in the brougham, "you
are married now and should be able to look after yourself, without
staying glued to my side so much--it is rather bourgeois."
Poor Theodora was crushed and did not try to excuse herself.
"I am afraid Josiah won't go, papa dear," she said, timidly; "and in case

he does not allow me to either, I want you to have these few louis, just
for the breakfast. I know how generous you are, and how difficult
things have been made for you, darling." And she nestled to his side
and slipped about eight gold pieces, which she had fortunately found in
her purse, into his hand.
Captain Fitzgerald was still a gentleman, although a good many edges
of his sensitive perceptions had been rubbed off.
He kissed his daughter fondly while he murmured: "Merely a loan, my
pet, merely a loan. You were always a jewel to your old father!"
Whenever her parent accused himself of being "old," Theodora knew
he was deeply touched, and her tender heart overflowed with gladness
that she was able to smooth the path of such a darling papa.
"I will come and see you in the morning, my child," he said, as they
stopped at the door of her hotel, "and I will manage Josiah."
So Theodora crept up to her apartment, comforted; and in the salon it
was she caught sight of the Peerage.
Josiah Brown bought one every year and travelled with it, although
until he met the Fitzgerald family he had not known a single person
connected with it; but it pleased him to be able to look up his wife's
name, and to read that her mother was the daughter of a real live earl
and her father the brother of a baronet.
"Hector! I like the name of Hector," were the last coherent thoughts
which floated through the brain of Theodora before sleep closed her
broad, white lids.
Meanwhile, Lord Bracondale had gone on to sup at the Café de Paris,
with Marion de Beauvoison and Esclarmonde de Chartres; and among
the diamonds and pearls and scents and feathers he suddenly felt a
burning disgust, and a longing to be out again in the moonlight--alone
with his thoughts.

"Mais qu'as tu, mon vieux chou?" they said. "Ce bel Hector chéri--il a
un béguin pour quelqu'un--mais ce n'est pas pour nous autres!"

III
Josiah Brown cut the top off his _oeuf à la coque_ with a knife at his
_premier déjeuner_ next day. The knife grated on the shell in a
determined way, and Theodora felt her heart sink at the prospect of
broaching the subject of the breakfast at the Café Henry.
"I am so glad the rain has stopped," she said, nervously. "It was raining
when I woke this morning."
"Indeed," replied Josiah. "And what kind of an evening did you pass
with that father of yours?"
"A very pleasant one," said Theodora, crumbling her roll. "Papa met
some old friends, and we all dined together at the Ritz. I wish you had
been able to come, it might have done you good, it was so gay!"
"I am not fit for gayety," said her husband, peevishly, scooping out
spoonfuls of yolk. "And who were the party, pray?"
Theodora obediently enumerated them all, and the high-sounding title
of the Russian Prince, to say nothing of the English lord and lady, had a
mollifying effect on Josiah Brown. He even remembered the name of
Bracondale--had he not been a grocer's assistant in the small town of
Bracondale for a whole year in his apprenticeship days?
"Papa wants us to breakfast to-day with him at Henry's for you to meet
some of them," Theodora said, with more confidence.
Josiah had taken a second egg and his frown was gone.
"We'll see about it, we'll see about it," he grunted; but his wife felt
more hopeful, and was even unusually solicitous of his wants in the
way of coffee and marmalade and cream. Josiah was shrewd if he did

happen to be deeply self-absorbed in his health, and he noticed that
Theodora's eyes were brighter and her step more elastic than usual.
He knew he had bought "one of