The impression heightened as Margaret drove me along. She conversed on matters of which I, for the most part, knew little, and, up to that moment, had cared less. She talked of golf, inquiring, in an offhand sort of way, what my "handicap" was; evidently taking it for granted that, in common with the rest of the world, I had a "handicap." I do not know what I answered; because, as it happened, not only was I without that plainly desirable appurtenance, but I did not even know what she meant. Hitherto golf had not come into my life at all. But fortunately, she chattered on at such a rate that she was able to pay no attention to what I said; so that it did not matter what I answered. It appeared that she had recently been playing a "tie" or a "match" or a "game" or a "round" or a "skittle," or something--I do not know which it was, but I am almost certain it was one or the other--with a Mrs Chuckit--I am sure of the name, because it was such an odd one--in which, it seemed, she had met with an unparalleled series of disasters. From what I could gather she had been "stymied"
and "bunkered" and "up" and "down" and "holed" and "foozled" and "skied" and "approached" and "driven," and all sorts of dreadful things. At least, I believe they were dreadful things; and, indeed, from the emphatic way in which she spoke of them, I am convinced they were. One thing of which she told me I am sure must have been painful.
She said that she got into a hedge--a "beast of a hedge" she called it; though how, or why, she got into it she did not explain; and that no sooner did she get out of it--"which took some doing"--so it shows it must have been painful--than back she went--"bang into the middle"
of it again--which seemed such a singular thing for anyone to do that, had she not been speaking with such earnestness, and such vigour, I should almost have suspected her of a desire to take advantage of my innocence. Then, she admitted, she had lost her temper--which was not to be wondered at. If anyone had thrown me, or "got" me into a hedge, anyhow, I should have lost mine right straight off. The moral of it seemed to be that "the last hole cost her seventeen," though seventeen what--whether pounds or shillings--she did not mention; nor what manner of hole it could have been that she should have been so set on getting it at apparently any price. It was all double Dutch to me. But she rattled on at such a rate that I hoped to be able to conceal my ignorance; for I felt that if she discovered it, I should drop in her estimation like the mercury in the thermometer which is transferred from hot water into cold.
Suddenly, however, she began to ask me questions which sent cold shivers up and down my back. What cleeks had I got? whose "mashie" did I use? did I care for a "heelless" cleek?
I fumbled with the inquiries somehow, until she put one which I had to answer.
"Do you do much with a bra.s.sey spoon?"
She looked at me with her grey eyes which made me feel as if I was in the witness-box and she was cross-examiner. I did not do much with a "bra.s.sey spoon." Indeed, I did nothing. I had no idea what anyone could do. In fact, until that second I had not been aware that spoons were ever made of bra.s.s. And, anyhow, what part spoons of any kind played in the game of golf I had not the dimmest notion. But I was not going to give myself away at a single bound; I was not quite so simple as that. So I thought for a moment; then I answered--
"I suppose that I do about as much as other people."
As a non-committal sort of answer I thought it rather neat; but I was not so clear in my own mind as I should have liked to have been as to what was the impression which it made upon Margaret. She looked at me in a way which made me wonder if she suspected.
Luckily, before she was able to corner me again, we came to the house.
In the hall a lady met us whose likeness to Philip was so great that it affected me with something like a shock; she was his replica in petticoats. In his clothes she might easily have pa.s.sed as his elder brother. It was Mrs Sanford. She took both my hands in hers--standing in front of her relatively I was a mere mite--and looked me up and down.
"There isn"t much of you, and you"re ridiculously young."
"The first fault I am afraid is incurable. But the second I can grow out of. Many people do."
She laughed, and took me in her arms, literally lifted me off my feet--and kissed me. It was humiliating, but I did not seem to mind it from her. I had a sort of feeling she was nice. As I looked at her I understood how it was that she had two such athletic daughters. Philip had never struck me as being particularly athletic, though he was so big and broad. But as I talked to his mother I began to realise with a sinking heart how little I knew of him after all.
I cannot say that when I got into my bedroom I felt very ecstatic.
Without an unusual degree of exertion I could have cried; but, thank goodness, I had sense enough not to do that.
When I went down to tea I found that Bertha and Miss Reeves had arrived--and the luggage, and the creatures. The Sanfords had creatures of their own; dogs and birds galore. Among the latter was one which I afterwards learnt was a jay. It made the most ridiculous noises, so that I felt that Lord Chesterfield was justified in fixing it with his stony gaze; and in observing, with serious and ceaseless reiteration--
"Don"t be a fool!"
The conversation immediately got into channels which I would much rather it had kept out of. Bertha began it.
"Molly, you"ve just come in time. There"s going to be a sing-song on the island to-night, and as I"m getting up the programme I hope you"ll turn out to be a gem of the first water. What"ll you do?" I did not know what a "sing-song" was. Bertha explained. "A sing-song? Oh, a kind of a sort of a concert--informal, free-and-easy, don"t you know.
All the river people turn up on the island--they bring their own illuminations--then some of us do things to amuse them. Will you give us a banjo solo?"
"I"m afraid I don"t play the banjo."
"Not play the banjo? I thought everyone could make a row on the banjo.
Can"t you play it enough to accompany your own singing?"
"I"m afraid I don"t sing."
"Don"t sing? Then what do you do?"
"I bar recitations"; this was Miss Reeves.
"I don"t care what you bar," retorted Bertha. "I"m going to recite: at least, I"m going to do a sort of a sketch with George Willis."
"I don"t call that reciting."
"It wouldn"t make any difference if you did."
I was rapidly beginning to learn that these people had a candid way of addressing each other which, to a stranger, was a little alarming.
"The question is, Molly, what shall I put you down for? Will you give us a dance?"
"A dance? I don"t know what you mean."
"A cake-walk, or a skirt-twirl, or a few steps--anything."
"Do you mean, will I dance, all by myself, in front of a lot of strangers?"
"Yes, why not? Everybody does if they can."
"I cannot, thank you."
"Then what can you do?"
"I have no parlour tricks."
"No--what?"
"I have no parlour tricks."
I ought to have been warned by the tone in which Bertha put her inquiry; but I did not notice it until it was too late. Directly I had repeated my a.s.sertion I realised that I had said something which it would perhaps have been better left unsaid. They all exchanged glances in that exasperating way which some people have when they wish to telegraph to each other something which is not precisely flattering to you. Miss Reeves laughed outright; Bertha drummed with her fingers on her knee; Margaret observed me with her keen grey eyes; while Mrs Sanford spoke.
"Isn"t that one of those things, Molly, which one would rather have expressed differently? Because, hereabouts, we rather pride ourselves on our capacity for what you call "parlour tricks"; and were not even aware that they were "parlour tricks" in the opprobrious sense which you seem to suggest. I have always myself tried to acquire a smattering of as many of what, I fancied, were the minor accomplishments, as I could; and I have always endeavoured, sometimes at the cost of a good deal of money, to induce my girls to acquire them too. I have never felt that a woman was any the worse for being able to do things for the amus.e.m.e.nt--if not for the edification--of her friends."
I had not been so snubbed since I had been long-frocked, and to think that it should have been by Philip"s mother! I fancy that I blushed in a perfectly preposterous manner, and I know that I went hot and cold all over, and I tried to wriggle out of the mess into which I had got myself.
"I only wish I could do things, but I can"t. I never have been among clever people, and I"m so dreadfully stupid. Hasn"t Philip told you?"
"Philip has told us nothing, except--you know what. But Philip himself is a past-master of all sorts of parlour tricks. Don"t you know so much of him as that?"
Of course I did. I resented the suggestion that I did not. I was commencing to get almost cross with Philip"s mother. I was perfectly aware that there was nothing which Philip could not do, and do well, better than anyone else. But it had not occurred to me that therefore his relations, and even his acquaintances, were all-round experts also. And I was not by any means sure that I appreciated the fact now--if it was a fact. It was not pleasant to feel that in what were here plainly regarded as essentials, I should show to such hideous disadvantage. I should practically be out of everything, and no girl likes to be that, especially when her lover"s about. Before long Philip would be comparing me to everybody else, and thinking nothing of me at all.
It is possible that my doleful visage--I am convinced that it had become doleful--moved Margaret to sympathy. Anyhow she all at once jumped up and, I have no doubt with the best will in the world by way of making things easier for me promptly proceeded to make them worse.
"Come along, Molly, let"s have some tennis. Run upstairs and put your shoes on."
"My shoes? What shoes?"
"Why, your tennis shoes."
"My tennis shoes? I--I"m afraid I haven"t brought any tennis shoes."