The Firing Line by Robert W. Chambers

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Then, close to him, a girl spoke of the "purple perfume of petunias,"
and a man used the phrases, "body politic," and "the gaiety of
nations."

So he knew he was among the elect, redundant, and truly precious. A
chinless young man turned to him and said:

"There is nobody to-day who writes as Bernard Haw writes."

"Does anybody want to?" asked Hamil pleasantly.

"You mean that this is an age of trumpery romance?" demanded a heavy
gentleman in dull disdain. "William Dean has erased all romance from
modern life with one smear of his honest thumb!"

"The honest thumb that persistently and patiently rubs the scales from
sapphire and golden wings in order to be certain that the vination of
the Ornithoptera is still underneath, is not the digit of inspiration,"
suggested Hamil.

The disciple turned a dull brick-colour; but he betrayed neither his
master nor himself.

"What, in God's name," he asked heavily, "is an ornithoptera?"

A very thin author, who had been listening and twisting himself into a
number of shapes, thrust his neck forward into the arena and considered
Hamil with the pale grimace of challenge.

"Henry Haynes?" he inquired--"your appreciation in one phrase, Mr.
Hamil."

"In a Henry Haynes phrase?" asked Hamil good-humouredly.

"The same old calumny?" said the thin author, writhing almost off his
chair.

"I'm afraid so; and the remedy a daily dose of verbifuge--until he gets
back to the suffocated fount of inspiration. I am very sorry if I seem
to differ from everybody, but everybody seems to differ from me, so I
can't help it."

A Swami, unctuous and fat, and furious at the lack of feminine
attention, said something suavely outrageous about modern women. He was
immediately surrounded by several mature examples who adored to be
safely smitten by the gelatinous and esoteric.

A little flabby, featureless, but very fashionable portrait painter
muttered to Hamil: "Orient and Occident! the molluskular and the
muscular. Mr. Hamil, do you realise _what_ the Occident is?"

"Geographically?" inquired Hamil wearily.

"No, symbolically. It is that!" explained the painter, doubling his
meagre biceps and punching at the infinite, with a flattened thumb.
"That," he repeated, "is America. Do you comprehend?"

The wan young girl who had spoken of the purple perfume of petunias said
that _she_ understood. It may be that she did; she reviewed literature
for the _Tribune_.

Harried and restless, Hamil looked for Shiela and saw Portlaw, very hot
and uncomfortable in his best raiment, shooting his cuffs and looking
dully about for some avenue of escape; and Hamil, exasperated with
purple perfumes and thumbs, meanly snared him and left him to confront a
rather ample and demonstrative young girl who believed that all human
thought was precious--even sinful thought--of which she knew as much as
a newly hatched caterpillar. However, Portlaw was able to enlighten her
if he cared to.

Again and again Hamil, wandering in circles, looked across the
wilderness of women's hats at Shiela Cardross, but a dozen men
surrounded her, and among them he noticed the graceful figure of
Malcourt directly in front of her, blocking any signal he might have
given.

Somebody was saying something about Mrs. Ascott. He recollected that he
hadn't met her; so he found somebody to present him.

"And _you_ are the man?" exclaimed Mrs. Ascott softly, considering him
with her head on one side. "Shiela Cardross wrote to me in New York
about you, but I've wanted to inspect you for my own information."

"Are you doing it now?" he asked, amused.

"It's done! Do you imagine you are complex? I've heard various tales
about you from three sources, to-day; from an old friend, Louis
Malcourt--from another, Virginia Suydam--and steadily during the last
month--including to-day--from Shiela Cardross. But I couldn't find a
true verdict until the accused appeared personally before me. Tell me,
Mr. Hamil, do you plead guilty to being as amiable as the somewhat
contradictory evidence indicates?"

"Parole me in custody of this court and let me convince your Honor,"
said Hamil, looking into the captivatingly cool and humourous face
upturned to his.

Mrs. Ascott was small, and finely moulded; something of the miniature
grande dame in porcelain. The poise of her head, the lifted chin, every
detail in the polished and delicately tinted surface reflected cool
experience of the world and of men. Yet the eyes were young, and there
was no hardness in them, and the mouth seemed curiously unfashioned for
worldly badinage--a very wistful, full-lipped mouth that must have been
disciplined in some sad school to lose its cheerfulness in repose.

"I am wondering," she said, "why Mr. Portlaw does not come and talk to
me. We are neighbors in the country, you know; I live at Pride's Fall. I
don't think it's particularly civil of him to avoid me."

"I can't imagine anybody, including Portlaw, avoiding you," he said.

"We were such good friends--I don't know--he behaved very badly to me
last autumn."

They chatted together for a moment or two in the same inconsequential
vein, then, other people being presented, she nodded an amiable
dismissal; and, as he stepped aside, held out her hand.

"There are a lot of things I'd like to ask you some day; one is about a
park for me at Pride's Fall--oh, the tiniest sort of a park, only it
should be quite formal in all its miniature details. Will you let Shiela
bring you for a little conference? _Soon_?"

He promised and took his leave, elated at the chances of a new
commission, hunting through the constantly arriving and departing
throngs for Shiela. And presently he encountered his aunt.

"You certainly do neglect me," she said with her engaging and care-free
laugh. "Where have you been for a week?"

"In the flat-woods. And, by the way, don't worry about any snakes.
Virginia said you were anxious."

"Nonsense," said his aunt, amused, "Virginia is trying to plague you! I
said nothing about snakes to her."

"Didn't you say there were snakes in my district?"

"No. I _did_ say there were _girls_ in your district, but it didn't
worry me."

His face was so serious that the smile died out on her own.

"Why, Garret," she said, "surely you are not offended, are you?"

"Not with you--Virginia has apparently taken her cue from that
unspeakable Mrs. Van Dieman, and is acting like the deuce toward Shiela
Cardross. Couldn't you find an opportunity to discourage that sort of
behaviour? It's astonishingly underbred."

His aunt's eyelids flickered as she regarded him.

"Come to see me to-night and explain a little more fully what Virginia
has done, dear. Colonel Vetchen is hunting for me and I'm going to let
him find me now. Why don't you come back with us if you are not looking
for anybody in particular."

"I'm looking for Shiela Cardross," he said.

"Oh, she's over there on the terrace holding her fascinating court--with
Louis Malcourt at her heels as usual."

"I didn't know that Malcourt was usually at her heels," he said almost
irritably. It was the second time he had heard that comment, and he
found it unaccountably distasteful.

His aunt looked up, smiling.

"Can't we dine together, Garry?"

"Yes."

"Thank you, dear"--faintly ironical. "So now if you'll go I'll reveal
myself to Gussie Vetchen. Stand aside, my condescending friend."

He said, smiling: "You're the prettiest revelation here. I'll be at the
hotel at eight."

And with that they parted just as the happy little Vetchen, catching
sight of them, came bustling up with all the fuss and demonstration of a
long-lost terrier.

A few minutes later Hamil found Shiela Cardross surrounded by her
inevitable entourage--a jolly, animated circle hemming her in with
Malcourt at her left and Van Tassel Cuyp on her right; and he halted on
the circle's edge to look and listen, glancing askance at Malcourt with
a curiosity unaccustomed.

That young man with his well-made graceful figure, his dark hair and
vivid tints, had never particularly impressed Hamil. He had accepted him
at his face value, lacking the interest to appraise him; and the
acquaintance had always been as casual and agreeable as mutual
good-humour permitted. But now Malcourt, as a type, attracted his
attention; and for a moment he contrasted this rather florid example
with the specimens of young men around him. Then he looked at Shiela
Cardross. Her delicately noble head was bent a trifle as she listened
with the others to Malcourt's fluent humour; and it remained so, though
at moments she lifted her eyes in that straight, questioning gaze which
left the brows level.

And now she was replying to Malcourt; and Hamil watched her and listened
to her with newer interest, noting the poise, the subtle reserve under
the gayest provocation of badinage--the melody of her rare laughter,
the unaffected sweetness of her voice, and its satisfying
sincerity--satisfying as the clear regard from her lifted eyes.

Small wonder men were attracted; Hamil could understand what drew
them--the instinctive recognition of a fibre finer and a metal purer
than was often found under the surface of such loveliness.

And now, as he watched her, the merriment broke out again around her,
and she laughed, lifting her face to his in all its youthfully
bewildering beauty, and saw him standing near her for the first time.

Without apparent reason a dull colour rose to his face; and, as though
answering fire with fire, her fainter signal in response tinted lip and
cheek.

It was scarcely the signal agreed upon for their departure; and for a
moment longer, amid the laughing tumult, she sat looking at him as
though confused. Malcourt bent forward saying something to her, but she
rose while he was speaking, as though she had not heard him; and Hamil
walked through the circle to where she stood. A number of very young men
looked around at him with hostile eyes; Malcourt's brows lifted a
trifle; then he shot an ironical glance at Shiela and, as the circle
about her disintegrated, sauntered up, bland, debonair, to accept his
conge.

His bow, a shade exaggerated, and the narrowed mockery of his eyes
escaped her; and even what he said made no impression as she stood,
brightly inattentive, looking across the little throng at Hamil. And
Malcourt's smile became flickering and uncertain when she left the
terrace with Hamil, moving very slowly side by side across the lawn.

"Such lots of pretty women," commented Shiela. "Have you been passably
amused?"

"Passably," he replied in a slightly sullen tone.

"Oh, only passably? I rather hoped that unawakened heart of yours might
be aroused to-day."

"It has been."

"_Not_ Mrs. Ascott!" she exclaimed, halting.

"Not Mrs. Ascott."

"Mrs. Tom O'Hara! Is it? Every man promptly goes to smash when Mrs. Tom
looks sideways."

"O Lord!" he said with a shrug.

"That is not nice of you, Mr. Hamil. If it is not with her you have
fallen in love there is a more civil way of denying it."

"Did you take what I said seriously?" he asked--"about falling in love?"

"Were you not serious?"

"I could be if you were," he said in a tone which slightly startled
her. She looked up at him questioningly; he said:

"I've had a stupid time without you. The little I've seen of you has
spoiled other women for me. And I've just found it out. Do you mind my
saying so?"

"Are you not a little over-emphatic in your loyalty to me? I like it,
but not at the expense of others, please."

They moved on together, slowly and in step. His head was bent, face
sullen and uncomfortably flushed. Again she felt the curiously
unaccountable glow in her own cheeks responding in pink fire once more;
and annoyed and confused she halted and looked up at him with that frank
confidence characteristic of her.

"Something has gone wrong," she said. "Tell me."

"I will. I'm telling myself now." She laughed, stole a glance at him,
then her face fell.

"I certainly don't know what you mean, and I'm not very sure that you
know."

She was right; he did not yet know. Strange, swift pulses were beating
in temple and throat; strange tumults and confusion were threatening his
common sense, paralyzing will-power. A slow, resistless intoxication had
enveloped him, through which instinctively persisted one warning ray of
reason. In the light of that single ray he strove to think clearly. They
walked to the pavilion together, he silent, sombre-eyed, taking a
mechanical leave of his hostess, fulfilling conventions while scarcely
aware of the routine or of the people around him; she composed, sweet,
conventionally faultless--and a trifle pale as they turned away together
across the lawn.

When they took their places side by side in the chair she was saying
something perfunctory concerning the fete and Mrs. Ascott. And as he
offered no comment: "Don't you think her very charming and sincere....
Are you listening to me, Mr. Hamil?"

"Yes," he said. "Everybody was very jolly. Yes, indeed."

"And--the girl who adores the purple perfume of petunias?" she asked
mischievously. "I think that same purple perfume has made you drowsy, my
uncivil friend."

He turned. "Oh, you heard _that_?"

"Yes; I thought it best to keep a sisterly eye on you."

He forced a smile.

"You were very much amused, I suppose--to see me sitting
bras-dessus-bras-dessous with the high-browed and precious."

"Not amused; no. I was worried; you appeared to be so hopelessly
captivated by her of the purple perfumery. Still, knowing you to be a
man normally innocent of sentiment, I hoped for Mrs. Ascott and the
best."

"Did I once tell you that there was no sentiment in me, Calypso? I
believe I did."

"You certainly did, brother," she replied with cheerful satisfaction.

"Well, I--"

"--And," she interrupted calmly, "I believed you. I am particularly
happy now in believing you." A pause--and she glanced at him. "In fact,
speaking seriously, it is the nicest thing about you--the most
attractive to me, I think." She looked sideways at him, "Because, there
is no more sentiment in me than there is in you.... Which is, of course,
very agreeable--to us both."

He said nothing more; the chair sped on homeward. Above them the sky was
salmon-colour; patches of late sunlight burned red on the tree trunks;
over the lagoon against the slowly kindling west clouds of wild-fowl
whirled, swung, and spread out into endless lengthening streaks like
drifting bands of smoke.

From time to time the girl cast a furtive glance toward him; but he was
looking straight ahead with a darkly set face; and an ache, dull,
scarcely perceptible, grew in her heart as they flew on along the
glimmering road.

"Of what are you thinking, brother?" she asked persuasively.

"Of something I am going to do; as soon as I reach home; I mean _your_
home."

"I wish it were yours, too," she said, smiling frankly; "you are such a
safe, sound, satisfactory substitute for another brother." ... And as he
made no response: "What is this thing which you are going to do when you
reach home?"

"I am going to ask your mother a question."

Unquiet she turned toward him, but his face was doggedly set forward as
the chair circled through the gates and swept up to the terrace.

He sprang out; and as he aided her to descend she felt his hand
trembling under hers. A blind thrill of premonition halted her; then she
bit her lip, turned, and mounted the steps with him. At the door he
stood aside for her to pass; but again she paused and turned to Hamil,
irresolute, confused, not even daring to analyse what sheer instinct was
clamouring; what intuition was reading even now in his face, what her
ears divined in his unsteady voice uttering some commonplace to thank
her for the day spent with him.

"What is it that you are going to say to my mother?" she asked again.

And at the same instant she knew from his eyes--gazing into them in
dread and dismay.

"Don't!" she said breathlessly; "I cannot let--" The mounting wave of
colour swept her: "Don't go to her!--don't ask such a--a thing. I am--"

She faltered, looking up at him with terrified eyes, and laid one hand
on his arm.

The frightened wordless appeal stunned him as they stood there,
confronting one another. Suddenly hope came surging up within her; her
hand fell from his arm; she lifted her eyes in flushed silence--only to
find hopeless confirmation of all she dreaded in his set and colourless
face.

"Mr. Hamil," she said tremulously, "I never dreamed--"

"No, you didn't. I did. It is all right, Shiela."

"Oh--I--I never, never dreamed of it!"--shocked and pitifully
incredulous still.

"I know you didn't. Don't worry." His voice was very gentle, but he was
not looking at her.

"Is it my--fault, Mr. Hamil?"

"Your fault?" he repeated, surprised. "What have _you_ done?"

"I--don't know."

He stood gazing absently out into the flaming west; and, speaking as
though unaware: "From the first--I realise it now--even from the first
moment when you sprang into my life out of the fog and the sea--Shiela!
Shiela!--I--"

"Don't!" she whispered, "don't say it." She swayed back against the
wall; her hand covered her eyes an instant--and dropped helpless,
hopeless.

They faced each other.

"Believe that I am--sorry," she whispered. "Will you believe it? I did
not know; I did not dream of it."

His face changed as though something within him was being darkly
aroused.

"After all," he said, "no man ever lived who could kill hope."

"There is no hope to kill--"

"No chance, Shiela?"

"There has never been any chance--" She was trembling; he took both her
hands. They were ice cold.

He straightened up, squaring his shoulders. "This won't do," he said.
"I'm not going to distress you--frighten you again." The smile he forced
was certainly a credit to him.

"Shiela, you'd love me if you could, wouldn't you?"

"Y-yes," with a shiver.

"Then it's all right and you mustn't worry.... Can't we get back to the
old footing again?"

"N-no; it's gone."

"Then we'll find even firmer ground."

"Yes--firmer ground, Mr. Hamil."

He released her chilled hands, swung around, and took a thoughtful step
or two.

"Firmer, safer ground," he repeated. "Once you said to me, 'Let us each
enjoy our own griefs unmolested.'" He laughed. "Didn't you say
that--years ago?"

"Yes."

"And I replied--years ago--that I had no griefs to enjoy. Didn't I?
Well, then, if this is grief, Shiela, I wouldn't exchange it for another
man's happiness. So, if you please, I'll follow your advice and enjoy
it in my own fashion.... Shiela, you don't smile very often, but I wish
you would now."

But the ghost of a smile left her pallor unchanged. She moved toward the
stairs, wearily, stopped and turned.

"It cannot end this way," she said; "I want you to know how--to know--to
know that I--am--sensible of w-what honour you have done me. Wait! I--I
can't let you think that I--do not--care, Mr. Hamil. Believe that I
do!--oh, deeply. And forgive me--" She stretched out one hand. He took
it, holding it between both of his for a moment, lightly.

"Is all clear between us, Calypso dear?"

"It will be--when I have courage to tell you."

"Then all's well with the world--if it's still under-foot--or somewhere
in the vicinity. I'll find it again; you'll be good enough to point it
out to me, Shiela.... I've an engagement to improve a few square miles
of it.... That's what I need--plenty of work--don't I, Shiela?"

The clear mellow horn of a motor sounded from the twilit lawn; the
others were arriving. He dropped her hand; she gathered her filmy skirts
and swiftly mounted the great stairs, leaving him to greet her father
and Gray on the terrace.

"Hello, Hamil!" called out Cardross, senior, from the lawn, "are you
game for a crack at the ducks to-morrow? My men report Ruffle Lake full
of coots and blue-bills, and there'll be bigger duck in the West
Lagoons."

"I'm going too," said Gray, "also Shiela if she wants to--and four
guides and that Seminole, Little Tiger."

Hamil glanced restlessly at the forest where his work lay. And he needed
it now. But he said pleasantly, "I'll go if you say so."

"Of course I say so," exclaimed Cardross heartily. "Gray, does Louis
Malcourt still wish to go?"

"He spoke of it last week."

"Well, if he hasn't changed his rather volatile mind telephone for
Adams, We'll require a guide apiece. And he can have that buckskin
horse; and tell him to pick out his own gun." And to Hamil, cordially:
"Shiela and Louis and Gray will probably wander about together and you
and I will do the real shooting. But Shiela is a shot--if she chooses.
Gray would rather capture a scarce jungle butterfly. Hello, here's Louis
now! Are you glad we're going at last?"

"Very," replied Hamil as Malcourt strolled up and airily signified his
intention of making one of the party. But as soon as he learned that
they might remain away three days or more he laughingly demurred.

The four men lingered for a few minutes in the hall discussing guns,
dogs, and guides; then Hamil mounted the stairs, and Malcourt went with
him, talking all the while in that easy, fluent, amusing manner which,
if he chose, could be as agreeably graceful as every attitude and
movement of his lithe body. His voice, too, had that engagingly
caressing quality characteristic of him when in good-humour; he really
had little to say to Hamil, but being on such excellent terms with
himself he said a great deal about nothing in particular; and as he
persistently lingered by Hamil's door the latter invited him in.

There Malcourt lit a cigarette, seated lazily astride a chair, arms
folded across the back, aimlessly humourous in recounting his adventures
at the Ascott function, while Hamil stood with his back to the
darkening window, twisting his unlighted cigarette into minute shreds
and waiting for him to go.

"Rather jolly to meet Miss Suydam again," observed Malcourt. "We were
great friends at Portlaw's camp together two years ago. I believe that
you and Miss Suydam are cousins after a fashion."

"After a fashion, I believe."

"She's tremendously attractive, Hamil."

"What? Oh, yes, very."

"Evidently no sentiment lost between you," laughed the other.

"No, of course not; no sentiment."

Malcourt said carelessly: "I'm riding with Miss Suydam to-morrow. That's
one reason I'm not going on this duck-hunt."

Hamil nodded.

"Another reason," he continued, intent on the glowing end of his
cigarette, "is that I'm rather fortunate at the Club just now--and I
don't care to disturb any run of luck that seems inclined to drift my
way. Would you give your luck the double cross?"

"I suppose not," said Hamil vaguely--"if I ever had any."

"That's the way I feel. And it's all kinds of luck that's chasing me.
_All_ kinds, Hamil. One kind, for example, wears hair that matches my
cuff-links. Odd, isn't it?" he added, examining the golden links with a
smile.

Hamil nodded inattentively.

"I am about seven thousand dollars ahead on the other sort of luck,"
observed Malcourt. "If it holds to-night I'll inaugurate a killing that
will astonish the brothers B. yonder. By the way, now that you have
your club ticket why don't you use it?--one way or another."

"Perhaps," replied Hamil listlessly.

A few minutes later Malcourt, becoming bored, genially took his leave;
and Hamil turned on an electric jet and began to undo his collar and
tie.

He was in no hurry; at times he suspended operations to pace aimlessly
to and fro; and after a while, half undressed, he dropped into an
arm-chair, clinched hands supporting his temples.

Presently he said aloud to himself: "It's absolutely impossible. It
can't happen this way. How can it?"

His heavy pulse answered the question; a tense strain, irksome as an
ache, dragged steadily at something within him which resisted; dulling
reason and thought.

For a long time he sat there inert, listening for the sound of her voice
which echoed at moments through the stunned silence within him. And at
last he stumbled to his feet like a stricken man on the firing line,
stupefied that the thing had happened to _him_; and stood unsteadily,
looking around. Then he went heavily about his dressing.

Later, when he was ready to leave his room, he heard Malcourt walking
through the corridor outside--a leisurely and lightly stepping Malcourt,
whistling a lively air. And, when Malcourt had passed came Cecile
rustling from the western corridor, gay, quick-stepping, her enchanting
laughter passing through the corridor like a fresh breeze as she joined
Mrs. Carrick on the stairs. Then silence; and he opened his door. And
Shiela Cardross, passing noiselessly, turned at the sound.

His face must have been easy to read for her own promptly lost its
colour, and with an involuntary recoil she stepped back against the
wall, staring at him in pallid silence.

"What is the matter?" he asked, scarcely recognising his own voice. And
striving to shake off the unreality of it all with a laugh: "You look
like some pretty ghost from dreamland--with your white gown and arms and
face. Shall we descend into the waking world together?"

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