e at his own table, momentarily
more surprised and helpless. And Lindsay, eating her grape-fruit with
satisfaction, thought him delightful, and wondered what his wife was
like, and how many children he had, and where they all were. It was at
least safe to speak of the wife, for the old house-keeper-nurse had
given her an unqualified recommendation. So she spoke.

"I'm sorry to hear that Mrs. Rudd is not at home," she began. "It must
be rather lonely in this big house without her."

The Governor looked at her and laughed. "Not that I've noticed," he
said, and was suddenly seized with a sickness of pity that was the
inevitable effect of Lindsay Lee. She needed no pity, being healthy,
happy, and well-to-do, but she had, for the punishment of men's sins,
sad gray eyes and a mouth whose full lips curved sorrowfully down. Her
complexion was the colorless, magnolia-leaf sort that is typically
Southern; her dark hair lay in thick locks on her forehead as if always
damp with emotion; her swaying, slender figure seemed to appeal to
masculine strength; and the voice that drawled a syllable to twice its
length here, to slide over mouthfuls of words there, had an upward
inflection at the end of sentences that brought tears to one's eyes.
There was no pose about her, but the whole effect of her was
pathetic--illogically, for she caught the glint of humor from every side
light of life, which means pleasure that other people miss. The old
warning against vice says that we "first endure, then pity, then
embrace"; but Lindsay differed from vice so far that people never had to
endure her, but began with pity, finding it often a very short step to
the wish, at least, to embrace her. The Governor after fifteen minutes'
acquaintance had arrived at pitying her, intensely and with his whole
soul, as he did most things. He held another interview with himself.
"Lord! what an innocent face it is!" he said. "Mary said she would be
embarrassed--the brute that would embarrass her! Hanged if I'll do it!
If she would rather have me married, married I'll be." He raised candid
eyes to Lindsay's face.

"I'm afraid I've shocked you. You mustn't think I shall not be glad
when--Mrs. Rudd--is here. But, you see, I've been very busy lately. I've
hardly had time to breathe--haven't had time to miss--her--at all,
really. All the same--" Now what was the queer feeling in his throat and
lungs--yes, it must be the lungs--as the Governor framed this sentence?
He