CHAPTER IV
It was almost a week before Bob Flick returned, and during that time
Pearl saw Hanson almost constantly, although to do so she had
continually to match her quickness and subtlety against that of her
father and Hughie; but even while she and her father met each other with
move and counter-move, check and checkmate, it was characteristic of
both of them that Hanson's obvious infatuation and her equally obvious
return of it were never mentioned between them.
With Hughie it was different, and Pearl met his petulant remonstrance,
his boyish withdrawal of the usual confiding intimacy which existed
between them, with laughter and caresses. As for Mrs. Gallito, she alone
was unchanged, apparently quite oblivious to storm conditions in the
mental atmosphere. But this was not unusual; when matters of importance
were transacted in the Gallito household Mrs. Gallito did not count.
But these disturbing conditions could not daunt Pearl's high spirits;
she was like flame, and the light of her eye, the glow on her cheek, the
buoyancy of her step were not all due to the ardor of her loving and the
joy of being ardently loved. There was also the zest of intrigue.
And, oh! what a mad and splendid game she and Hanson played together!
He rose to her every soaring audacity; they took almost impossible
chances as lightly as a hunter takes a hurdle. The lift of her eyelash,
an imperceptibly significant gesture, a casual word spoken in
conversation, these Hanson met with an incredible quickness of
understanding.
Pages:
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58