The Conflict Part 32

"You altered toward me when I made that confession--the night of the riot," said Jane abruptly. "Are you in love with him, too?"

"No," said Selma.

"I don't see how you could help being," cried Jane.

"That's because you don't know what it is to be busy," retorted Selma.

"Love--what you call love--is one of the pastimes with your sort of people. It's a lazy, easy way of occupying the thoughts."

"You don't know me as well as you think you do," said Jane. Her expression fascinated Selma--and made her more afraid than ever.

Impulsively Selma took Jane by the arm. "Keep away from us," she said.

"You will do no good. You can only cause unhappiness--perhaps most of all to yourself."

"Don't I know that!" exclaimed Jane. "I'm fighting it as hard as I can. But how little control one has over oneself when one has always been indulged and self-indulgent."

"The man for you is David Hull," said Selma.

"You could help him--could make a great deal of a person out of him."

"I know it," replied Jane. "But I don't want him, and he--perhaps you didn't know that he is in love with you?"

"No more than you are with Victor Dorn," said Selma. "I'm different from the women he has known, just as Victor is different from the men you meet in your cla.s.s. But this is a waste of time."

"You don't believe in me at all," cried Jane. "In some ways you are very unjust and narrow, Selma."

Selma looked at her in that grave way which seemed to compel frankness.

"Do YOU believe in yourself?" she asked.

Jane's glance s.h.i.+fted.

"You know you do not," proceeded Selma. "The women of your cla.s.s rarely have sincere emotions because they do not lead sincere lives.

Part of your imaginary love for Victor Dorn is desire to fill up idle hours. The rest of it is vanity--the desire to show your power over a man who seems to be woman-proof." She laughed a little, turned away, paused. "My mother used to quote a French proverb--'One cannot trifle with love.' Be careful, Jane--for your own sake. I don't know whether you could conquer Victor Dorn or not. But I do know IF you could conquer him it would be only at the usual price of those conquests to a woman."

"And what is that?" said Jane.

"Your own complete surrender," said Selma.

"How wise you are!" laughed Jane. "Who would have suspected you of knowing so much!"

"How could I--a woman--and not unattractive to men--grow up to be twenty-one years old, in the free life of a working woman, without learning all there is to know about s.e.x relations?"

Jane looked at her with a new interest.

"And," she went on, "I've learned--not by experience, I'm glad to say, but by observation--that my mother's proverb is true. I shall not think about love until I am compelled to. That is a peril a sensible person does not seek."

"I did not seek it," cried Jane--and then she halted and flushed.

"Good-by, Jane," said Selma, waving her hand and moving away rapidly.

She called back--"On ne badine pas avec l'amour!"

She went straight to Colman's cottage--to Victor, lying very pale with his eyes shut, and big Tom Colman sitting by his bed. There was a stillness in the room that Selma felt was ominous. Victor's hand--strong, well-shaped, useful-looking, used-looking--not ABUSED-looking, but USED-looking-was outside the covers upon the white counterpane. The fingers were drumming softly; Selma knew that gesture--a certain sign that Victor was troubled in mind.

"You've told him," said Selma to Colman as she paused in the doorway.

Victor turned his head quickly, opened his eyes, gave her a look of welcome that made her thrill with pride. "Oh--there you are!" he exclaimed. "I was hoping you'd come."

"I saw David Hull just after it was done," said Selma. "And I thanked him for you."

Victor's eyes had a look of amus.e.m.e.nt, of mockery. "Thank you," he said.

She, the sensitive, was on the alert at once. "Didn't you want me to thank him?"

Victor did not answer. In the same amused way he went on: "So they carried him on their shoulders--him and that other defender of the rights of the people, Hugo Galland? I should like to have seen. It was a memorable spectacle."

"You are laughing at it," exclaimed the girl. "Why?"

"You certainly are taking the news very queer, Victor," said Colman.

Then to Selma, "When I told him he got white and I thought I'd have to send for Doctor Charlton."

"Well--joy never kills," said Victor mockingly. "I don't want to keep you, Tom--Selma'll sit with me."

When they were alone, Victor again closed his eyes and resumed that silent drumming upon the counterpane. Selma watched the restless fingers as if she hoped they would disclose to her the puzzling secret of Victor's thoughts. But she did not interrupt.

That was one lesson in restraint that Victor had succeeded in teaching her--never to interrupt. At last he heaved a great sigh and said:

"Well, Selma, old girl--we've probably lost again. I was glad you came because I wanted to talk--and I can't say what's in my mind before dear old Tom--or any of them but my sister and you."

"You didn't want those injunctions and indictments out of the way?"

said Selma.

"If they had stood, we'd have won--in a walk," replied Victor. "As the cards lie now, David Hull will win. And he'll make a pretty good show mayor, probably--good enough to fool a large majority of our fellow citizens, who are politically as shallow and credulous as nursery children. And so--our work of educating them will be the harder and slower. Oh, these David Hulls!--these good men who keep their mantles spotless in order to make them the more useful as covers for the dirty work of others!" Suddenly his merry smile burst out. "And they carried Hugo Galland on their shoulders?"

"Then you don't think Hull's motives were honorable?" inquired Selma, perplexed and anxious.

"How could I know his motives?--any man's motives?" replied Victor.

"No one can read men's hearts. All I ever consider is actions. And the result of his actions is probably the defeat of the League and the election of d.i.c.k Kelly."

"I begin to understand," said Selma thoughtfully. "But--I do believe his motive was altogether good."

"My dear girl," said Victor, "the primer lesson in the life of action is: 'Never--NEVER look at motives. Action--only actions--always actions.' The chief reason the human race is led patiently round by the nose is its fondness for fussing about motives. We are interested only in men's actions and the results to our cause. Davy Hull's motives concern only himself--and those who care for him." Victor's eyes, twinkling mischievously, shot a shrewd glance at Selma. "You're not by any chance in love with Davy?"

Selma colored high. "Certainly not!" she exclaimed indignantly.

"Why not? Why not?" teased Victor. "He's tall and handsome--and superbly solemn--and women always fancy a solemn man has intellect and character. Not that Davy is a fool--by no means. I'd be the last man to say that--I whom he has just cleverly checkmated in one move."

"You intended not to give bail! You intended to go to jail!" exclaimed Selma abruptly. "I see it all! How stupid I was! Oh, I could cry, Victor! What a chance."

"Spilt milk," said Victor. "We must forget it, and plan to meet the new conditions. We'll start the paper at once. We can't attack him.