The yellow book: an illustrated quarterly (4.1895)

Theodora

i58

“ She is,” he said with conviction, at last. “ I see her at church
every Sunday.”

“ Oh then, of course she must be — proof conclusive,” I
answered.

Digby looked at me and then grumbled, “ Confounded sneering
fellow you are. Has she been telling you she is not ? ”

I remembered suddenly that I had promised Theodora not to
repeat her opinions, so I only said, “ I really don’t know what she
is ; she may be most devout for all I know—or care.”

“Of course you can profess to be quite indifferent,” said Digby
ungraciously. “But all I can say is, it doesn’t look like it—your
going there this afternoon ; and anyway, she is not indifferent to
you. She said all sorts of flattering things about you.”

“ Very kind, I am sure,” I murmured derisively.

“And she sent round to my rooms this morning a thundering
box of Havannahs in recognition of my having won the bet about
your looks.”

I laughed outright. “ That’s rather good biz for you ! The
least you can do is to let me help in the smoking of them, I
think.”

“Of course I will. But it shows what she thinks of you,
doesn’t it ? ”

“ Oh, most convincingly,” I said with mock earnestness.
“ Havannahs are expensive things.”

“But you know how awfully rieh she is, don’t you?” asked
Digby, looking at me as if he wanted to find out whether I were
really ignorant or affecting to be so.

“ My dear Charlie, you know I know nothing whatever about
her except what you teil me—or do you suppose she showed me
her banking account between the dances ? ”

“Don’t know, I am sure,” Digby grumbled back. “You sat

in