“One cannot eat encouragement,” retorted
Dr. Gates sagely. “And friendliness between
you and any man—bah! Even Peter is
only human, my dear.”
“I am sure he is very good.”
“So he is. He is very poor. But you
are very attractive. There, I’m a skeptic
about men, but you can trust Peter. Only don’t
fall in love with him. It will be years before
he can marry. And don’t let him fall in
love with you. He probably will.”
Whereupon Dr. Gates taking herself and her pink flannel
off to prepare for lunch, Harmony sent a formal note
to Peter Byrne, regretting that a headache kept her
from taking the afternoon walk as she had promised.
Also, to avoid meeting him, she did without dinner,
and spent the afternoon crying herself into a headache
that was real enough.
Anna Gates was no fool. While she made her few
preparations for dinner she repented bitterly what
she had said to Harmony. It is difficult for
the sophistry of forty to remember and cherish the
innocence of twenty. For illusions it is apt to
substitute facts, the material for the spiritual,
the body against the soul. Dr. Gates, from her
school of general practice, had come to view life
along physiological lines.
With her customary frankness she approached Peter
after the meal.
“I’ve been making mischief, Peter.
I been talking too much, as usual.”
“Certainly not about me, Doctor. Out of
my blameless life—”
“About you, as a representative member of your
sex. I’m a fool.”
Peter looked serious. He had put on the newly
pressed suit and his best tie, and was looking distinguished
and just now rather stern.
“To whom?”
“To the young Wells person. Frankly, Peter,
I dare say at this moment she thinks you are everything
you shouldn’t be, because I said you were only
human. Why it should be evil to be human, or
human to be evil—”
“I cannot imagine,” said Peter slowly,
“the reason for any conversation about me.”
“Nor I, when I look back. We seemed to
talk about other things, but it always ended with
you. Perhaps you were our one subject in common.
Then she irritated me by her calm confidence.
The world was good, everybody was good. She would
find a safe occupation and all would be well.”
“So you warned her against me,” said Peter
grimly.
“I told her you were human and that she was
attractive. Shall I make ’way with myself?”
“Cui bono?” demanded Peter, smiling in
spite of himself. “The mischief is done.”
Dr. Gates looked up at him.
“I’m in love with you myself, Peter!”
she said gratefully. “Perhaps it is the
tie. Did you ever eat such a meal?”
