was up in front
with her and she had left a place behind for Cowperwood with Rita. She
did not in the vaguest way suspect how interested he was--his manner
was so deceptive. Aileen imagined that she was the superior woman of
the two, the better-looking, the better-dressed, hence the more
ensnaring. She could not guess what a lure this woman's temperament
had for Cowperwood, who was so brisk, dynamic, seemingly unromantic,
but who, just the same, in his nature concealed (under a very forceful
exterior) a deep underlying element of romance and fire.

"This is charming," he said, sinking down beside Rita. "What a fine
evening! And the nice straw hat with the roses, and the nice linen
dress. My, my!" The roses were red; the dress white, with thin, green
ribbon run through it here and there. She was keenly aware of the
reason for his enthusiasm. He was so different from Harold, so healthy
and out-of-doorish, so able. To-day Harold had been in tantrums over
fate, life, his lack of success.

"Oh, I shouldn't complain so much if I were you," she had said to him,
bitterly. "You might work harder and storm less."

This had produced a scene which she had escaped by going for a walk.
Almost at the very moment when she had returned Aileen had appeared.
It was a way out.

She had cheered up, and accepted, dressed. So had Sohlberg. Apparently
smiling and happy, they had set out on the drive. Now, as Cowperwood
spoke, she glanced about her contentedly. "I'm lovely," she thought,
"and he loves me. How wonderful it would be if we dared." But she said
aloud: "I'm not so very nice. It's just the day--don't you think so?
It's a simple dress. I'm not very happy, though, to-night, either."

"What's the matter?" he asked, cheeringly, the rumble of the traffic
destroying the carrying-power of their voices. He leaned toward her,
very anxious to solve any difficulty which might confront her,
perfectly willing to ensnare her by kindness. "Isn't there something I
can do? We're going now for a long ride to the pavilion in Jackson
Park, and then, after dinner, we'll come back by moonlight. Won't that
be nice? You must be smiling now and like yourself--happy. You have no
reason to be otherwise that I know of. I will do anything for you that
you want done--that can be done. You can have anything you want that I
can give you. What is it? You know how much I think of you. If you
leave your affairs to me you would never have a