Chapter 8 - Page 2

these had become minor interests: the past few months had
given her a new perspective, and the thing that most puzzled and
disconcerted her about Ellie was the fact that love and finery
and bridge and dining-out were seemingly all on the same plane
to her.

The inspection of the dresses lasted a long time, and was marked
by many fluctuations of mood on the part of Mrs. Vanderlyn, who
passed from comparative hopefulness to despair at the total
inadequacy of her wardrobe. It wouldn't do to go to St. Moritz
looking like a frump, and yet there was no time to get anything
sent from Paris, and, whatever she did, she wasn't going to show
herself in any dowdy re-arrangements done at home. But suddenly
light broke on her, and she clasped her hands for joy. "Why,
Nelson'll bring them--I'd forgotten all about Nelson! There'll
be just time if I wire to him at once."

"Is Nelson going to join you at St. Moritz?" Susy asked,
surprised.

"Heavens, no! He's coming here to pick up Clarissa and take her
to some stuffy cure in Austria with his mother. It's too lucky:
there's just time to telegraph him to bring my things. I didn't
mean to wait for him; but it won't delay me more than day or
two."

Susy's heart sank. She was not much afraid of Ellie alone, but
Ellie and Nelson together formed an incalculable menace. No one
could tell what spark of truth might dash from their collision.
Susy felt that she could deal with the two dangers separately
and successively, but not together and simultaneously.

"But, Ellie, why should you wait for Nelson? I'm certain to
find someone here who's going to St. Moritz and will take your
things if he brings them. It's a pity to risk losing your
rooms."

This argument appealed for a moment to Mrs. Vanderlyn. "That's
true; they say all the hotels are jammed. You dear, you're
always so practical!" She clasped Susy to her scented bosom.
"And you know, darling, I'm sure you'll be glad to get rid of
me--you and Nick! Oh, don't be hypocritical and say 'Nonsense!'
You see, I understand ... I used to think of you so often, you
two ... during those blessed weeks when we two were alone...."

The sudden tears, brimming over Ellie's lovely eyes, and
threatening to make the blue circles below them run into the
adjoining carmine, filled Susy with compunction.

"Poor thing--oh, poor thing!" she thought; and hearing herself
called by Nick, who was waiting to take her out for their usual
sunset on the lagoon, she felt a wave of pity for the deluded
creature who would never taste that highest of imaginable joys.
"But all the same," Susy reflected, as she hurried down to her
husband, "I'm glad I persuaded her not to wait for Nelson."