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our neighbors。 The colonel and my father smoke their afternoon cigar
together in our sitting…room or on the piazza opposite； and I pass an hour
or two of the day or the evening with the daughter。 I am more and more
struck by the beauty； modesty； and intelligence of Miss Daw。
You asked me why I do not fall in love with her。 I will be frank； Jack； I
have thought of that。 She is young； rich； accomplished； uniting in herself
more attractions； mental and personal； than I can recall in any girl of my
acquaintance； but she lacks the something that would be necessary to
inspire in me that kind of interest。 Possessing this unknown quality； a
woman neither beautiful nor wealthy nor very young could bring me to her
feet。 But not Miss Daw。 If we were shipwrecked together on an
uninhabited islandlet me suggest a tropical island； for it costs no more to
be picturesqueI would build her a bamboo hut； I would fetch her bread…
fruit and cocoanuts； I would fry yams for her； I would lure the ingenuous
turtle and make her nourishing soups； but I wouldn't make love to hernot
under eighteen months。 I would like to have her for a sister； that I might
shield her and counsel her； and spend half my income on old threadlace
and camel's…hair shawls。 （We are off the island now。） If such were not my
feeling； there would still be an obstacle to my loving Miss Daw。 A greater
misfortune could scarcely befall me than to love her。 Flemming； I am
about to make a revelation that will astonish you。 I may be all wrong in
my premises and consequently in my conclusions； but you shall judge。
That night when I returned to my room after the croquet party at the
Daw's； and was thinking over the trivial events of the evening； I was
suddenly impressed by the air of eager attention with which Miss Daw had
followed my account of your accident。 I think I mentioned this to you。
Well； the next morning； as I went to mail my letter； I overtook Miss Daw
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on the road to Rye； where the post… office is； and accompanied her thither
and back； an hour's walk。 The conversation again turned to you； and again
I remarked that inexplicable look of interest which had lighted up her face
the previous evening。 Since then； I have seen Miss Daw perhaps ten times；
perhaps oftener； and on each occasion I found that when I was not
speaking of you； or your sister； or some person or place associated with
you； I was not holding her attention。 She would be absent…minded； her
eyes would wander away from me to the sea； or to some distant object in
the landscape； her fingers would play with the leaves of a book in a way
that convinced me she was not listening。 At these moments if I abruptly
changed the themeI did it several times as an experimentand dropped
some remark about my friend Flemming； then the sombre blue eyes would
come back to me instantly。
Now； is not this the oddest thing in the world？ No； not the oddest。 The
effect which you tell me was produced on you by my casual mention of an
unknown girl swinging in a hammock is certainly as strange。 You can
conjecture how that passage in your letter of Friday startled me。 Is it
possible； than； that two people who have never met； and who are hundreds
of miles apart； can exert a magnetic influence on each other？ I have read
of such psychological phenomena； but never credited them。 I leave the
solution of the problem to you。 As for myself； all other things being
favorable； it would be impossible for me to fall in love with a woman who
listens to me only when I am talking of my friend！
I am not aware that any one is paying marked attention to my fair
neighbor。 The lieutenant of the navyhe is stationed at Rivermouth
sometimes drops in of an evening； and sometimes the rector from
Stillwater； the lieutenant the oftener。 He was there last night。 I should not
be surprised if he had an eye to the heiress； but he is not formidable。
Mistress Daw carries a neat little spear of irony； and the honest lieutenant
seems to have a particular facility for impaling himself on the point of it。
He is not dangerous； I should say； though I have known a woman to
satirize a man for years； and marry him after all。 Decidedly； the lowly
rector is not dangerous； yet； again； who has not seen Cloth of Frieze
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victorious in the lists where Cloth of Gold went down？
As to the photograph。 There is an exquisite ivory…type of Marjorie； in
passe…partout； on the drawing room mantel…piece。 It would be missed at
once if taken。 I would do anything reasonable for you； Jack； but I've no
burning desire to be hauled up before the local justice of the peace； on a
charge of petty larceny。
P。S。Enclosed is a spray of mignonette； which I advise you to treat
tenderly。 Yes； we talked of you again last night； as usual。 It is becoming a
little dreary for me。
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CHAPTER VIII。
EDWARD DELANEY TO JOHN FLEMMING。
August 22； 1872。
Your letter in reply to my last has occupied my thoughts all the
morning。 I do not know what to think。 Do you mean to say that you are
seriously half in love with a woman whom you have never seen with a
shadow； a chimera？ for what else can Miss Daw to be you？ I do not
understand it at all。 I understand neither you nor her。 You are a couple of
ethereal beings moving in finer air than I can breathe with my
commonplace lungs。 Such delicacy of sentiment is something that I
admire without comprehending。 I am bewildered。 I am of the earth earthy；
and I find myself in the incongruous position of having to do with mere
souls； with natures so finely tempered that I run some risk of shattering
them in my awkwardness。 I am as Caliban among the spirits！
Reflecting on your letter； I am not sure that it is wise in me to continue
this correspondence。 But no； Jack； I do wrong to doubt the good sense that
forms the basis of your character。 You are deeply interested in Miss Daw；
you feel that she is a person whom you may perhaps greatly admire when
you know her： at the same time you bear in mind that the chances are ten
to five that； when you do come to know her； she will fall far short of your
ideal； and you will not care for her in the least。 Look at it in this sensible
light； and I will hold back nothing from you。
Yesterday afternoon my father and myself rode over to Rivermouth
with the Daws。 A heavy rain in the morning had cooled the atmosphere
and laid the dust。 To Rivermouth is a drive of eight miles； along a winding
road lined all the way with wild barberry bushes。 I never saw anything
more brilliant than these bushes； the green of the foliage and the faint
blush of the berries intensified by the rain。 The colonel drove； with my
father in front； Miss Daw and I on the back seat。 I resolved that for the
first five miles your name should not pass my lips。 I was amused by the
artful attempts she made； at the start； to break through my reticence。 Then
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a silence fell upon her； and then she became suddenly gay。 That keenness
which I enjoyed so much when it was exercised on the lieutenant was not
so satisfactory directed against myself。 Miss Daw has great sweetness of
disposition； but she can be disagreeable。 She is like the young lady in the
rhyme； with the curl on her forehead；
〃When she is good； She is
very； very good； And when she is bad； she is horrid！〃
I kept to my resolution； however； but on the return home I relented；
and talked of your mare！ Miss Daw is going