"Glad to see you!" he repeated. "I never was more glad to see anybody in MY life. How"d you happen to come so soon? We weren"t expectin" you for a week."
"I hadn"t expected to come, but I changed my mind. Now tell me all about yourself. How are you, and how"s Mother? And how are you getting on?
Mother has gone to the Chapter meeting, you say. Did she go alone?"
"No, she didn"t go alone. That--Cousin Percy went with her."
"Cousin Percy? Oh, you mean Mr. Hungerford. Do you call him Cousin Percy? How funny!"
She seemed much amused. Her father smiled, but it was a rather sheepish smile.
""Tis kind of funny, I suppose," he admitted. "I don"t know as he really is a cousin. Fact is, I guess he ain"t any real relation."
"Of course he isn"t. He was Aunt Lavinia"s second cousin, or something like that, but she was only your aunt by marriage. I don"t see why you should speak of him as "Cousin Percy." Did he ask you to?"
"No-o; I don"t know as he did. But, you see, he always calls your mother Cousin Serena and me Cousin Daniel, and--and--well, I guess we"ve kind of got into the habit. Your mother began it and, now that he"s been here so long, I"ve caught the disease, I shouldn"t wonder."
"Long! Why, he hasn"t been here more than a month, has he?"
"Hey? No; no; now that you mention it I don"t suppose he has. But it seems a lot longer than that to me."
He sighed. Gertrude regarded him keenly. Unconscious of the regard he sat there, lost in thought, apparently forgetful of her presence. She reminded him by saying:
"Why does it seem longer?"
He started and looked up.
"Hey? Why?" he repeated. "Oh, I don"t know. So many things have happened, I guess."
"What kind of things?"
"All kinds. But there--tell me about yourself. How"s college? And how"s John? Land sakes! I ain"t said a word about John, and he"s about as important as anything on earth just now, or he ought to be. Guess you think I"m a selfish old pig, not to ask about him before this. How is he?"
"You couldn"t be selfish if you tried, Daddy. You never knew how to be.
John is well and very busy. He sent his love to you and Mother, and he hopes to run down here before very long and spend a few days with us."
"Does, hey? That"s good. I suppose YOU don"t hope he"ll come. Ha! ha!
no, of course not. He"s doin" all the hopin"."
"Well, perhaps not all. But there, Daddy, don"t waste time talking of John or me. I want to hear about you and about Mother, and how you like living in Scarford."
"Why, I wrote you all about that."
"Yes, I know you did, but I want to hear more, lots more. And I want to see the house. Just think, I haven"t seen it at all. Now, Daddy, you must show me all the rooms right away. We can talk as we go. Come on."
She led the way and Daniel followed. The house was shown from top to bottom. Gertrude asked many questions, the majority of which seemed to have little to do with the new establishment and more with the life which her parents had spent in it. Captain Dan answered these questions in the intervals between rooms, and his answers were less guarded than they might have been under different circ.u.mstances. At length the young lady ceased to question, and the tour of inspection was finished in silence on her part.
When they returned to the library, the captain, who had been waiting for some expression of approval from his daughter, suddenly blurted out:
"Well, why don"t you say somethin", Gertie? Don"t you like it?"
Gertrude, seated in the easy chair, her elbow resting on the chair arm and her chin supported by her hand, answered promptly.
"No," she said, "I don"t like it at all."
"What! Don"t LIKE it? Don"t like this house? Well, for mercy sakes!"
"Oh, not the house; I like that well enough. I liked our old one quite as well--but never mind that now. The house is all right. It is the rest of it that is all wrong. I don"t like that."
"The rest of it? What do you mean?"
Gertrude did not answer. Instead she raised her head and looked at him.
It was a long look and a steady one, and the captain found it hard to bear. He fidgeted for a moment and then blurted out:
"Well, what is it? Why are you starin" at me like that?"
The stare continued.
"What is it?" demanded Daniel. "What does ail you, Gertie? Or is it me?"
His daughter nodded. "Yes," she said, "it is you. Why don"t you tell me all about it, Daddy? I have a right to know. Why don"t you tell me?"
"Tell you? Tell you what?"
"You know. Why don"t you tell me? You have told me so much already that you may as well make a clean breast of it. Why, you silly old Dad, what do you suppose brought me here a week ahead of my vacation? Why do you think I came?"
"Why do I think--? Why--why, you came because you wanted to see your mother and me, I suppose. That"s reason enough--or I flattered myself that "twas. I thought you was as anxious to see us as we was to see you."
"So I was; but that wasn"t reason sufficient to make me leave my work at college before the term was over, leave it for good, very likely. I came because I was sure you needed me. And your letters made me sure."
Daniel gasped. His letters had been triumphs of diplomatic evasion, so he considered. He had been so careful to write nothing of his troubles, to leave out everything which should hint at his disturbed state of mind. He had taken pains to express, in each epistle, his contentment and happiness, had emphasized them. And now--
"My letters!" he exclaimed. "My letters made you think--made you sure--"
"Yes; your letters and mother"s. Hers were full of all sorts of things, the very things that you never mentioned. She didn"t say she was having a good time here, but it was plain enough that she was. You said it in every letter--that you were having the good time, I mean--but it was perfectly plain that you weren"t. And her last letter was so short--she was so busy with the Atterbury preparations that she could not write more, she said--and yours was so very, very long, and SO full of lonesomeness--"
Her father interrupted. Lonesomeness was the very thing he had tried to keep out of that letter.
"Gertrude Atwell Dott!" he shouted. "How you talk! I never wrote a word--"
"Yes, you did. It was all there, between the lines. I could read it, for you and I have been acquainted a good many years. As soon as I received that letter I made up my mind to come at once. Since I have been here I have asked a good many questions, and you have answered them. But I didn"t need the answers. Just to look at you was enough. You are miserable, Daddy dear, and, because you are you, you won"t admit it. But you"ve got to; you"ve got to tell me the whole story. I want to know all about everything."
The wind was taken completely out of Daniel"s sails. He could only sit there, guilt written plainly upon his face, and stammer frantic protestations.
"No, no," he declared. "It ain"t so. You"re all wrong, Gertie. You"re way off the course. The idea of you sayin" your mother was neglectin"
me."
"I didn"t say it. You have said it a dozen times, but I haven"t."
"_I_ said it? I never. Your mother is a fine woman, Gertie; as good a woman as ever was."