which had so definitely ended, the feeling which the Romans called
desiderium and the Greeks pathos. The defection of George
Pennicut was a small thing in itself, but it meant the removal of
another landmark.
'We had some bully good times in that studio,' he said.
The words were a requiem.
The first person whom he met in this great house, in the kingdom of
which he was to be king-consort, was a butler of incredible
stateliness. This was none other than Steve's friend Keggs. But round
the outlying portions of this official he had perceived, as the door
opened, a section of a woman in a brown dress.
The butler moving to one side, he found himself confronting Mrs. Lora
Delane Porter.
If other things in Kirk's world had changed, time had wrought in vain
upon the great authoress. She looked as masterful, as unyielding, and
as efficient as she had looked at the time of his departure. She took
his hand without emotion and inspected him keenly.
'You are thinner,' she remarked.
'I said that, Aunt Lora,' said Ruth. 'Poor boy, he's a skeleton.'
'You are not so robust.'
'I have been ill.'
Ruth interposed.
'He's had fever, Aunt Lora, and you are not to tease him.'
'I should be the last person to tease any man. What sort of fever?'
'I think it was a blend of all sorts,' replied Kirk. 'A kind of Irish
stew of a fever.'
'You are not infectious?'
'Certainly not.'
Mrs. Porter checked Ruth as she was about to speak.
'We owe it to William to be careful,' she explained. 'After all the
trouble we have taken to exclude him from germs it is only reasonable
to make these inquiries.'
'Come along, dear,' said Ruth, 'and I'll show you the house. Don't mind
Aunt Lora,' she whispered; 'she means well, and she really is splendid
with Bill.'
Kirk followed her. He was feeling chilled again. His old mistrust of
Mrs. Porter revived. If their brief interview was to be taken as
evidence, she seemed to have regained entirely her old ascendancy over
Ruth. He felt vaguely uneasy, as a man might who walks in a powder
magazine.
'Aunt Lora lives here now,' observed Ruth casually, as they went
upstairs.
Kirk started.
'Literally, do you mean? Is this her home?'
Ruth smiled at him over her shoulder.
'She won't interfere with you,' she said. 'Surely this great house is
large enough for the three of us. Besides, she's so devoted to Bill.
She looks after him all the time; of course, nowadays I don't get quite
so much time to be with him myself. One has an awful lot of calls on
one. I feel Bill is so safe with Aunt Lora on the premises.'
