CHAPTER FIFTEENTHE ANCIENT URGE
Jerome had failed with Stella; she had thrown him over for another man; now he had found Lili—had almost desperately, without quite realizing it, seized upon her. He needed her—that is, his ego needed her. It wasn’t an aggressive or egregious ego; certainly there was nothing of a Don Juan about it! But it was a decently masculine ego, and stood possessed of a salient sense of dignity. Under the circumstances, even had Lili’s spell been less rare and beautiful, it could have required no prodigious effort to convince himself that he loved her. As time went on and his brave new life unfolded, what elements of sheer convenience in it all there might be obtruded less and less.
Her wonderful eyes, her gay manners, never failed. He couldn’t help himself—didn’twantto—idealized her lavishly because he really loved her, though behind that, subtly, because his ego loved her. Had he pried down deep into his heart—ah, but this was no time for prying; it was a time for living! He loved, and laid long plans into the future, and more or less realised, underneath all his reverses, that it was proving the happiest and most consistently advancing period of his life—even if Lili did keep holding off.
And indeed he didn’t, after all, have time to sit down much and brood over his troubles; for entirely aside from matters of heart interest he was a full fledged business man, now, with problems to work out, increasing responsibility, tricky accounts to keep straight. Jerome was proving to Mr. Curry that much of the business of contracting for cargo could beentrusted to him. He was getting first-hand information about everything connected with shipping and insurance; worked right along with the broker—who might be a little inclined to chuckle over occasional evidence of a rather unusual naïveté, but who soon perceived he was dealing with nobody’s fool when it came to figures.
The impresario looked on with a glow of thanksgiving and relief, and was very glad indeed, as things had turned out, that Tony and Alfredo had put the clerk in the supply closet. “Lord, Lord! It’s wonderful the progress that boy is making!”
Yes, Jerome found the world a great place. And the most valuable lessons of all were lessons of contact with men—of all sorts, yet nearly all prepared to get the better of their fellows if possible.
But through everything ran the thread of his queer courtship. Lili baffled him, yet lured him on and on. And hewantedto be lured. He couldn’t understand her, but he certainly couldn’t give her up, either; did a man ever give a woman up because he couldn’t understand her?
Perhaps the worst of it was that Lili kept going places with that same wretched soldier. Where had she ever picked him up, and who did he think he was, anyhow? Jerome brooded murder. He brooded almost everything conceivable, between sessions with the broker, and when he wasn’t checking up with the house manager. Sometimes he would stoutly decide never to speak to her again. But the next day she would so overwhelm him with her beaming and her loud, determined sweetness that contrary impulse would melt away. Jerome was simply a lump of putty in her hands.
But of course Lili didn’t by any means always treat him so badly. Sometimes for long stretches she would be quite lovely. On Sundays—all but one, when she disappeared in company with the miserable meddling soldier—Lili and Jerome took excursions about the island, sometimes aloneand sometimes with a gay party of their friends. Oh, the skies were not by any means altogether leaden.
The prosperous season in Honolulu closed on a Saturday night, and theSkipping Goonewas scheduled for departure the following Monday. Jerome and Lili went on a final jaunt, this time a bit more ambitious than any of the others. They found they could take an early morning boat over to Hilo and return late at night.
It was a very joyous occasion. Both were in good spirits, and the weather was gracious. They saw as much of the larger island of Hawaii as they could, and had faced back toward town when Lili conceived a sudden desire to pause at a charming little roadside tavern for a supper of lobster and wine—lobster being a specialty, as they learned from a sign stretching out from the door. Lili grew very much excited.
“My mouth is just all set for it,” she said, speaking succulently, as though already beginning to delight her palate with the proposed feast.
And her companion admitted he was as hungry as a bear. “We’ll stop,” he agreed, glad enough to prolong the enjoyment of this last trip.
“How much money have we got between us, Jerry? You have my purse in your pocket.”
“Oh, I have plenty,” he replied, with a firmness that set her pleasantly humming. Lili loved firmness in the male—especially when it concerned finances.
Over the lobster she flashed her pretty teeth at him in a mood of increasing jollity. Lili’s hair was somewhat wind-blown, and she had a high glow—touches which added a deeper poignancy to the perennial charm of her beaming. And as they sipped their white wine and nibbled their lobster in cosy intimacy, Jerome felt himself more and more falling under the spell.
It was the old spell of Lili herself, but it was also the spellof the hour and the place. Their being out together like this had a fine adventurous tang. He reached across the table and gave her hand a quick, fervent squeeze. He was so excited he could hardly eat.
Lili was certainly in a wonderful mood. He had never before seen her so utterly enjoying herself. And the more of the friendly wine they drank, the more completely did their respective moods take possession of them—also the less did they think about the growing lateness. When at last it occurred to them there was a boat to catch in Hilo, they found, by consulting their watches and the proprietor of the tavern, it would be quite impossible for them to reach Hilo in time. At first the inn-keeper thought there was a special later boat on Sunday, but it developed, when he consulted a much-thumbed time-table, that it was out of season. And then they were in a good deal of a panic, until the man told them of a boat that left quite early in the morning; a stage made connections somewhere—it was a little vague, but the inn-keeper agreed to get them up in plenty of time.
There remained a remote and much less gripping panic over the thought of possibly not reaching Honolulu in time to get aboard theSkipping Goone, but Lili pointed out: “I know Mr. Curry wouldn’t have the heart to go without us!” And anyway, there was no use trying to cross more than one bridge at a time. She giggled a little. There was nothing they could do but remain and make the best of it. After reaching this decision their spirits rose again very rapidly.
They wandered out of the tavern arm in arm for a little stroll. There was a gorgeous moon, spreading all about them a realm of intoxicating tropical splendour. Lili drew closer to him and sighed: “It’s grand, isn’t it Jerry?” Her tone was a little reverent, as it generally was when she felt herself overcome by the beauty of the night.
They wandered together a little way down the still, white road. Jerome felt the girl gently relaxing against him. There was a thrilling softness and deliciousness in the contact. He slipped an arm about her. Impulsively they pausedand kissed. It was a wonderful, lingering kiss, and Jerome found his hands tremblingly in her hair.
The night was lustrous and so unutterably sweet. They turned at last and slowly walked back to the tavern. And the spell endured.... He held her hand hotly. In the shadow of some feathery trees he pressed his cheek against hers, and they kissed again.
“Oh, Jerry!” she whispered.
“I love you!” he said.
Their hearts beat rapidly and their voices trembled when they spoke to each other. They felt themselves irresistibly drawn together.
The urge was strong and sweet. They gave themselves up to it, and the night was theirs. Yes, theirs. All the lustrous beauty and mystery of it, long and golden, with cares put aside until the morrow, and only in their hearts the strange, rich, poignant thrill which held them so breathless and made their kisses seem immortal....