Nobody

Dillwyn.

"Philip, that first one, the gentleman, had a little bit – just a littlebit – the air of your friend, Mr. Caruthers. He was so muffled up, onecould not tell what he was like; but somehow he reminded me of Mr.Caruthers."

"I thought Tom was your friend?"

"Friend? No. He was an acquain'tance; he was never my friend, I think."

"Then his name raises no tender associations in your mind?"

"Why, no!" said Lois, with a gay little laugh. "No, indeed. But I likedhim very well at one time; and I —think– he liked me."

"Poor Tom!"

"Why do you say that?" Lois asked merrily. "He is not poor; he hasmarried a Dulcimer. I never can hear her name without thinking ofNebuchadnezzar's image! He has forgotten me long ago."

"I see you have forgotten him," said Dillwyn, bending down till hisface was very near Lois's.

"How should I not? But I did like him at one time, quite well. Isuppose I was flattered by his attentions, which I think were rathermarked. And you know, at that time I did not know you."

Lois's voice fell a little; the last sentence being given with adelicate, sweet reserve, which spoke much more than effusion. Philip'sanswer was mute.

"Besides," said Lois, "he is a sort of man that I never could haveliked beyond a certain point. He is a weak character; do you know it,Philip?"

"I know it. I observe, that is the last fault women will forgive in aman."

"Why should they?" said Lois. "What have you, where you have notstrength? It is impossible to love where you cannot respect. Or if youlove, it is a poor contemptible sort of love."

Philip laughed; and just then the door opened, and the hostess of theinn appeared on the threshhold, with other figures looming dimly behindher. She came in apologizing. More storm-bound travellers hadarrived – there was no other room with a fire ready – would monsieur andmadame be so gracious and allow the strangers to come in and get warmand dry by their fire? Almost before she had finished her speech thetwo men had sprung towards each other, and "Tom!" – "PhilipDilIwyn!" – had been cried in different tones of surprised greeting.

"Where did you come from?" said Tom, shaking his friend's hand. "What achance! Here is my wife. Arabella, this is Mr. Dillwyn, whose name youhave heard often enough. At the top of this pass! – "

The lady thus addressed came in behind Tom, throwing off her wrappings, and throwing each, or dropping it as it was taken off, into the handsof her attendant who followed her. She appeared now to be a slimperson, of medium height, dressed very handsomely, with aninsignificant face, and a quantity of light hair disposed in amysterious manner to look like a wig. That is, it looked like nothingnatural, and yet could not be resolved by the curious eye into bands orbraids or any defined form of fashionable art or artifice. The facelooked fretted, and returned Mr. Dillwyn's salutation discontentedly.Tom's eye meanwhile had wandered, with an unmistakeable air ofapprehension, towards the fourth member of the party; and Lois cameforward now, giving him a frank greeting, and holding out her hand. Tombowed very low over it, without saying one word; and Philip noted thathis eye shunned Lois's face, and that his own face was all shadowedwhen he raised it. Mr. Dillwyn put himself in between.

"May I present my wife, Mrs. Caruthers?"

Mrs. Caruthers gave Lois a look, swift and dissatisfied, and turned tothe fire, shivering.

"Have we got to stay here?" she asked querulously.

"We couldn't go on, you know," said Tom. "We may be glad of any sort ofa shelter. I am afraid we are interfering with your comfort, Philip; but really, we couldn't help it. The storm's awful outside. Mrs.Caruthers was sure we should be overtaken by an avalanche; and then shewas certain there must be a crevasse somewhere. I wonder if one can getanything to eat in this place?"

"Make yourself easy; they have promised us dinner, and you shall sharewith us. What the dinner will be, I cannot say; but we shall notstarve; and you see what a fire I have coaxed up for you. Take thischair, Mrs. Caruthers."

The lady sat down and hovered over the fire; and Tom restlessly bustledin and out. Mr. DilIwyn tended the fire, and Lois kept a little in thebackground. Till, after an uncomfortable interval, the hostess came in, bringing the very simple fare, which was all she had to set beforethem. Brown bread, and cheese, and coffee, and a common sort of redwine; with a bit of cold salted meat, the precise antecedents of whichit was not so easy to divine. The lady by the fire looked ondisdainfully, and Tom hastened to supplement things from their ownstores. Cold game, white bread, and better wine were produced fromsomewhere, with hard-boiled eggs and even some fruit. Mrs. Carutherssat by the fire and looked on; while Tom brought these articles, oneafter another, and Lois arranged the table. Philip watched hercovertly; admired her lithe figure in its neat mountain dress, which hethought became her charmingly; admired the quiet, delicate tact of herwhole manner and bearing; the grace with which she acted and spoke, aswell as the pretty deftness of her ministrations about the table. Shewas taking the part of hostess, and doing it with simple dignity; andhe was very sorry for Tom. Tom, he observed, would not see her when hecould help it. But they had to all gather round the table together andface each other generally.

"This is improper luxury for the mountains," Dillwyn said.

"Mrs. Caruthers thinks it best to be always provided for occasions.

These small houses, you know, they can't give you any but small fare."

"Small fare is good for you!"

"Good for you," said Tom, – "all right; but my – Arabella cannot eatthings if they are too small. That cheese, now! – "

"It is quite passable."

"Where are you going, Philip?"

"Bound for the AEggischhorn, in the first place."

"You are never going up?"

"Why not?" Lois asked, with her bright smile. Tom glanced at her fromunder his brows, and grew as dark as a thundercloud. She wasministering to Tom's wife in the prettiest way; not assuming anything, and yet acting in a certain sort as mistress of ceremonies. And Mrs.Caruthers was coming out of her apathy every now and then, and lookingat her in a curious attentive way. I dare say it struck Tom hard. Forhe could not but see that to all her natural sweetness Lois had addednow a full measure of the ease and grace which come from the habit ofsociety, and which Lois herself had once admired in the ladies of hisfamily. "Ay, even they wouldn't say she was nobody now!" he said tohimself bitterly. And Philip, he saw, was so accustomed to this fact, that he took it as a matter of course.

"Where are you going after the AEggischhorn?" he went on, to saysomething.

"We mean to work our way, by degrees, to Zermatt."

"We are going to Zermatt," Mrs. Caruthers put in blandly. "We mighttravel in company."

"Can you walk?" asked Philip, smiling.

"Walk!"

"Yes. We do it on foot."

"What for? Pray, pardon me! But are you serious?"

"I am in earnest, if that is what you mean. We do not look upon it in aserious light. It's rather a jollification."

"It is far the pleasantest way, Mrs. Caruthers," Lois added.

"But do you travel without any baggage?"

"Not quite," said Lois demurely. "We generally send that on ahead, except what will go in small satchels slung over the shoulder."

"And take what you can find at the little inns?"

"O yes; and fare very well."

"I like to be comfortable!" sighed the other lady. "Try that wine, andsee how much better it is."

"Thank you, no; I prefer the coffee."

"No use to ask her to take wine," growled Tom. "I know she won't. Shenever would. She has principles. Offer it to Mr. Dillwyn."

"You do me the honour to suppose me without principles," said Philipdryly.