"But--but, Azuba, are you sure you know what it means? Do you think your husband would want you to--"
"My husband! What"s he got to do with it? If we free women have got to be slaves to our husbands it"s a pretty state of things, I must say. You don"t ask your husband every time you go to meetin" whether he likes it or not. No, ma"am, you don"t! You"re above that, I cal"late. And I shan"t ask Labe neither--even if he was where I could ask him, which he ain"t. Husbands! Don"t talk to me about husbands! THEY don"t count."
Serena said that she would see what could be done and hurried away to discuss the new development with the family.
"Of course she can"t join," she declared. "It is ridiculous. The idea! I supposed she had more sense."
Daniel chuckled. "So did I," he observed, "until she got shoutin"
independence to me the other day. But it looked then as if she"d got it bad. All right, Serena, if Zuba Jane Ginn is goin" to make speeches at your Chapter meetin"s, I"ll go any time. You won"t have to ask me but once."
He laughed aloud. His wife was vexed.
"Of course you think it"s a great joke," she said. "Anything that makes trouble for me is a joke to you. She can"t join. What do you suppose Annette and Mrs. Lake and the rest would say if I proposed my servant girl as a member? Do stop being silly, if you can. What are you grinning at now?"
Captain Dan, repressing his grin with difficulty, explained that he was thinking of what they would say. Serena, giving him up in disgust, turned to her daughter.
"Gertie," she begged, "why don"t you say something? Azuba can"t join that Chapter and you know it."
Gertrude shook her head.
"I suppose, she can"t," she replied. "And yet, I"m afraid, Mother, that you will find that fact rather hard to explain to her. Azuba doesn"t consider herself a servant, in the ordinary sense, at all. She feels, I think, that she is a friend of the family. And she has a right, of course, to improve and advance in every way. I am very much pleased to know she is so ambitious."
"Ambitious! Azuba Ginn! What does she know about progress or advancement? Who put such ridiculous ideas in her head?"
"Perhaps I did. She and I have had some long talks on the subject. She asked questions and it was duty--and my privilege--to answer them. I am very hopeful of Azuba. She is my first convert. I shall help her all I can."
"Help her! Help her to what? To be too high and mighty for her place?
Help her to be dissatisfied with her station in life?"
"Yes; why not? None of us should be satisfied, short of the very highest. Why, Mother, if you had been satisfied we might all be stagnating in Trumet."
Serena abandoned the argument. She refused to mention Azuba"s desire for advancement again. Several times during the day Captain Dan saw her regarding her daughter with the same odd, doubtful look that she had worn when Mr. Holway made his first call.
After dinner that evening Gertrude and Serena hastened upstairs to dress for the Chapter meeting. Mr. Hungerford, after expressing his regret that the gathering was not to be an "open" one and he, therefore, would not be permitted to see Miss Dott become one of the elect, went out.
When he first became a member of the household it was his custom, on occasions of this kind, to remain in the library as "company" for Captain Dan. Now, however, he seldom did this. The captain did not mind; he preferred his own society to that of Cousin Percy.
Just as the ladies descended the stairs the doorbell rang. Hapgood answered the ring, and the voice which replied to his polite query concerning the caller"s name was a familiar one.
"Why!" exclaimed Serena, "it is--isn"t that--"
"It"s John!" cried Gertrude. "Why, JOHN!"
Mr. Doane pushed past the butler and entered the hall. His glance took in the group at the foot of the stairs, but it lingered upon only one member of it.
"Gertie!" he said, and stepped forward. Captain and Mrs. Dott looked the other way; Hapgood gave his attention to the closing of the door.
A moment later the young man was ready to shake hands with the less important inhabitants of the mansion. He did so heartily.
"My!" he exclaimed, "but I"m glad to see you all. It seems a hundred years since I did see you. How are you?"
Serena answered. Captain Dan, his first surprise over, seemed nervous.
"We"re real well," declared Serena. "And it seems awfully good to have you here. Gertrude and I--"
Gertrude interrupted.
"But, John," she said, "how did you happen to come so unexpectedly? I didn"t know--you didn"t write me a word about it."
"I didn"t know it, myself. That is, I wasn"t sure of it. You know our junior partner, Mr. Griffin, has been very ill--I wrote you that. He is very ill even yet, but he is a little better, and so I grabbed the opportunity. I should have come before, just as soon as--"
He paused. Daniel, in the background, was grimacing and shaking his head.
"As soon as what, John?" asked Gertrude.
"As soon as--as soon as I could. You"re glad I came, aren"t you; even if it was rather sudden?"
"Of course I am. You know it."
Her tone was hearty enough, and yet Mr. Doane seemed to find something lacking in it. Serena, too, looked quickly at her daughter.
"Of course she"s glad," she declared. "So are we all. But what are we thinking of? Take off your things. Where"s your trunk? Have the man bring it right in."
"There isn"t any trunk. There"s a bag outside there, that"s all. My visit is likely to be a very short one. If I should have a wire that Mr. Griffin was worse it might be shorter still. I should have to go at once. But we won"t worry about that. Dinner? No, thank you, I have dined."
Captain Dan ushered the newcomer into the drawing-room. John exclaimed at the grandeur of the apartment.
"Whew!" he whistled. "You"re fine, aren"t you? Gertie wrote me how grand you were and I have been anxious to see the new house. Gertie--why, Gertie! what is it?"
Gertrude was standing in the doorway. She looked perplexed and troubled.
John noticed, for the first time, that she was wearing her coat and hat.
"Were you going out?" he asked.
Gertrude hesitated. Serena answered for her.
"Gertie and I were going out," she said. "It is Chapter night and she was going to be made a member. But you won"t go now, of course, Gertie.
I"ll go--John will excuse me, I know--and you can join at the next meeting. It will be all right, I think. It will have to be, of course."
But Gertrude still hesitated. Her father was surprised.
"Why, Gertie!" he cried. "What are you standin" there for? "Tain"t likely you"ll go to that meetin" now that John"s come all the way from Boston to see you. Tell him you ain"t goin"."
The young lady was plainly much disturbed. She looked at Mr. Doane and it was evident that she wanted to say something very much indeed. What she did say, however, was a surprise to everyone.
"I--I ought to go, John," she faltered. "It is a very important meeting.
I can"t tell you--now--how important it is."
John"s disappointment showed in his look, but his answer was prompt.