His eyes were somber, resentful and yet nervous.
Could it not happen again successfully in this case?
But here he was now upon the same platform with her as the result of her persistent and illogical demands, and he must be thinking how, and boldly, he must carry out the plans which, for four days, or ever since he had telephoned her, and in a dimmer way for the ten preceding those, he had been planning.
This settled course must not be interfered with now.
He must act!
He must not let fear influence him to anything less than he had now planned.
And so it was that he now stepped forth in order that she might see him, at the same time giving her a wise and seemingly friendly and informative look as if to say,
“You see I am here.”
But behind the look!
If only she could have pierced beneath the surface and sensed that dark and tortured mood, how speedily she would have fled.
But now seeing him actually present, a heavy shadow that was lurking in her eyes lifted, the somewhat down-turned corners of her mouth reversed themselves, and without appearing to recognize him, she nevertheless brightened and at once proceeded to the window to purchase her ticket to Utica, as he had instructed her to do.
And she was now thinking that at last, at last he had come.
And he was going to take her away.
And hence a kind of gratefulness for this welling up in her.
For they were to be together for seven or eight months at the least.
And while it might take tact and patience to adjust things, still it might and probably could be done.
From now on she must be the very soul of caution — not do or say anything that would irritate him in any way, since naturally he would not be in the best mood because of this.
But he must have changed some — perhaps he was seeing her in a more kindly light — sympathizing with her a little, since he now appeared at last to have most gracefully and genially succumbed to the unavoidable.
And at the same time noting his light gray suit, his new straw hat, his brightly polished shoes and the dark tan suitcase and (strange, equivocal, frivolous erraticism of his in this instance) the tripod of a recently purchased camera together with his tennis racquet in its canvas case strapped to the side — more than anything to conceal the initials C. G. — she was seized with much of her old-time mood and desire in regard to his looks and temperament.
He was still, and despite his present indifference to her, her Clyde.
Having seen her secure her ticket, he now went to get his own, and then, with another knowing look in her direction, which said that everything was now all right, he returned to the eastern end of the platform, while she returned to her position at the forward end.
(Why was that old man in that old brown winter suit and hat and carrying that bird cage in a brown paper looking at him so?
Could he sense anything?
Did he know him?
Had he ever worked in Lycurgus or seen him before?)
He was going to buy a second straw hat in Utica to-day — he must remember that — a straw hat with a Utica label, which he would wear instead of his present one.
Then, when she was not looking, he would put the old one in his bag with his other things.
That was why he would have to leave her for a little while after they reached Utica — at the depot or library or somewhere — perhaps as was his first plan, take her to some small hotel somewhere and register as Mr. and Mrs. Carl Graham or Clifford Golden or Gehring (there was a girl in the factory by that name) so if they were ever traced in any way, it would be assumed that she had gone away with some man of that name.
(That whistle of a train afar off. It must be coming now. His watch said twelve-twenty-seven.)
And again he must decide what his manner toward her in Utica must be — whether very cordial or the opposite.
For over the telephone, of course, he had talked very soft and genial-like because he had to.
Perhaps it would be best to keep that up, otherwise she might become angry or suspicious or stubborn and that would make it hard.
(Would that train never get here?)
At the same time it was going to be very hard on him to be so very pleasant when, after all, she was driving him as she was — expecting him to do all that she was asking him to do and yet be nice to her.
Damn!
And yet if he weren’t?
— Supposing she should sense something of his thoughts in connection with this — really refuse to go through with it this way and spoil his plans.
(If only his knees and hands wouldn’t tremble so at times.)
But no, how was she to be able to detect anything of that kind, when he himself had not quite made up his mind as to whether he would be able to go through with it or not?
He only knew he was not going away with her, and that was all there was to that.
He might not upset the boat, as he had decided on the day before, but just the same he was not going away with her.
But here now was the train.
And there was Roberta lifting her bag.
Was it too heavy for her in her present state?
It probably was.
Well, too bad.
It was very hot to-day, too.
At any rate he would help her with it later, when they were where no one could see them.
She was looking toward him to be sure he was getting on — so like her these days, in her suspicious, doubtful mood in regard to him.
But here was a seat in the rear of the car on the shady side, too.