The Straight Simplicity of Eve

Eric came somehow to understand, less from what she said than from what she did not say, that Kilmeny, though she had loved her mother, had always been rather afraid of her. There had not been be- tween them the natural beautiful confi— dence of mother and child.

Of Neil, she wrote frequently at first, and seemed very fond of him. Later she ceased to mention him. Perhaps—for she was marvellously quick to catch and in- terpret every fleeting change of expres- sion in his voice and face—she discerned what Eric did not know himself—that his eyes clouded and grew moody at the men- tion of Neil’s name.

Once she asked him naively,

“ Are there many people like you out in the world? ”

“ Thousands of them,” said Eric, laughing.

She looked gravely at him. Then she gave her head a quick decided little shake.

“ I do not think so,” she wrote. “ I do

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