He did not finish the sentence, but his expression indicated that much was expected. It was Cousin Percy"s turn to color.
"Don"t be an idiot, Monty," he snapped. "That is, more of an idiot than you can help. Don"t mind him, Gertrude; he has an amazing idea of repartee, that"s all."
Serena volunteered a remark concerning the weather just then. She observed that it might be raining, it had looked that way before dinner.
Mr. Holway possibly considered that a hint was involved; at any rate, he rose and announced that he must be going. Gertrude begged him not to hurry, they had all enjoyed his call so much, she said. Cousin Percy suddenly declared that he would accompany his friend on his way, a walk would do him good. Monty expressed no enthusiasm at the prospect of company, but the pair left the house together.
After they had gone, Daniel turned to his wife.
"Humph!" he observed, "what sort of talk do you call that? I thought those two were chums; and yet I didn"t know but they was goin" to fight one spell. It"s a good thing you hove in that about the rain when you did, Serena."
Serena was grave. "Gertie," she inquired, "did you ask that young man to call here?"
Gertrude was the picture of surprised innocence.
"Ask him to call?" she repeated. "Mr. Holway, do you mean? I don"t know.
I think not. Why?"
"WHY?" Captain Dan almost shouted it. His wife motioned him to be quiet.
"Hush, Daniel," she said. "You know why, Gertie, as well as I do. You are engaged to be married."
Gertrude smiled. "Of course I am," she answered. "What of it?"
"What OF IT?"
"Hush, Daniel, hush! Engaged girls, Gertie, are not supposed to have young men calling upon them."
"Oh," with a shrug. "I don"t know that he was calling on me. He did not ask for me when he came. And you and Daddy were here all the time.
Besides, merely because I am engaged isn"t any reason why I should retire from the world altogether, is it? Mrs. Lake says--"
Daniel struck the table with his fist.
"Mrs. Lake!" he shouted. "Mrs. Lake don"t live with her husband. She"s a gra.s.s widow, that"s what she is."
"She is one of Mother"s dearest friends, and any friend of Mother"s should be good enough for me."
The captain choked. "You--you talk to her, Serena," he stammered; "I can"t."
Serena looked more troubled than ever.
"Gertie," she faltered, "if Mrs. Lake has been advising you--to--to--"
"She hasn"t advised me at all. Now, Mother, what IS the use of all this?
If I have learned anything from you and your Chapter friends it is to be broad-minded and independent. If Mrs. Lake is not a living example of independence, who is?"
Serena could not seem to find an answer at the moment. Her husband tried again.
"Gertie Dott," he declared, "I--I don"t know what to make of you, all at once. And John Doane wouldn"t either. If John knew--"
Gertrude interrupted. "That"s enough, Daddy," she said, firmly. "I am quite willing John shall know; when I am ready I shall tell him. He is a dear, good fellow, in his way, but--"
She hesitated. Her parents asked a question in concert.
"But what?" they demanded.
"Why--why, nothing of importance. But I am learning here in Scarford. My opportunity has come, just as yours did, Mother. I am a free woman and I shall not be a slave--a SLAVE to any man."
With which remark, a quotation from a paper read at the most recent Chapter meeting, she walked from the room. Her astonished parents looked at each other. Daniel was the first to speak.
"My soul and body!" he gasped. "What--what--Serena, did you hear what she said? That about John? That he was a good fellow--in his way? In his WAY! My soul and body!"
Serena shook her head.
"I--I don"t believe she meant it, Daniel," she said. "I"m sure she didn"t. She"s just a little carried away, that"s all. All this society--this altered social position of ours--has turned her head the least bit. She didn"t mean it. I"ll have another talk with her pretty soon."
"I should say you"d better. Serena, do you know what I"ve done? Done on my own hook, I mean. I"ve written--"
He paused. The disclosure which, on the impulse of the moment, he had been about to make was, for him, a serious one. He had written the letter "on his own hook," without telling his wife of his action. What would she say if he told her now, so long afterward?
"You"ve done? What have you done?" asked Serena sharply.
The captain still hesitated. Before his mind was made up the front door opened and Cousin Percy made his appearance. He entered the hall quickly, and to Mr. Hapgood--who hastened from somewhere or other to take his coat and hat--he said nothing, except to snarl a comment on the butler"s slowness. He did not speak to the Dotts either, but tramped savagely up the stairs. His face, as seen by the electric light, was flushed and frowning.
Serena turned to her husband.
"How cross he looked," she said, wonderingly. "I never saw him so before. What do you suppose has happened?"
Speculation concerning Cousin Percy"s evident perturbation caused her to forget the disclosure Captain Dan had been about to make. By the time she remembered to ask about it the captain had decided not to tell. He fabricated some excuse or other, and the excuse was accepted, to his great relief.
None of the Dott household attended the Wainwright recital. Mr. Holway called on Wednesday, just after luncheon, to say that he had obtained the necessary cards, but his kindness went for nought. He stayed, so it seemed to Daniel, a good deal longer than was necessary, and Mr.
Hungerford, who remained in the room every moment of the time, evidently thought so, too. So did Serena. Gertrude, however, was very cordial, and again begged the visitor not to hurry.
Sat.u.r.day evening was that of the Chapter meeting, the meeting at which Gertrude was to be made a member. That forenoon Azuba electrified her mistress by expressing an ardent desire to become a member also. Her wish was not received with enthusiasm.
"Why, what do you want to do that for, Azuba?" asked Serena in amazement.
"Why shouldn"t I want to? You"re a member, ain"t you? Gertie"s goin" to be a member to-night, ain"t she?"
"Yes. But--but--"
"Well, but what?"
"I didn"t know you were interested in such things. You never were when we lived in Trumet."
Azuba dismissed the past with a scornful sniff and a wave of the hand.
"Trumet!" she repeated. "Trumet ain"t nothin". n.o.body"s anything in Trumet. We"re in Scarford now, and Scarford"s a progressive, up-to-date place. We"ve all changed since we"ve been here, and I"m changin" much as anybody. I"ve been hearin" your papers, when you read "em to Gertie and the cap"n, and I"ve been readin" "The Voice," too. Yes ma"am, I"ve read it and I"ve found out what a back number I"ve been. But, I ain"t goin"
to be so no more. I"m goin" to be as up-to-date as the next one, even if I do have to wash dishes for a livin". Serena--Mrs. Dott, I mean--I"d like first rate to join that Chapter of yours. You put my name in to-night and maybe it can be voted on next meetin"."