"Why, yes," replied Mrs. Berry, "he told Elizabeth. She said---- Oh, here you are, dearie. Captain Kendrick, our next door neighbor, has run in for a little call. Isn"t it delightful of him? Captain Kendrick, this is my daughter, Elizabeth."
She had entered from the door behind the captain"s chair. Now she came forward as he rose from it.
"How do you do, Cap"n Kendrick?" she said. "I am very glad to see you again. Judge Knowles told me you were planning to call."
She extended her hand and the captain took it. She was smiling, but it seemed to him that the smile was an absent-minded one. In fact--of course it might be entirely his imagination--he had a feeling that she was troubled about something.
However, he had no time to surmise or even reply to her greeting. Mrs.
Berry had caught a word in that greeting which to her required explanation.
"Again?" she repeated. "Why, Elizabeth, have you and Captain Kendrick met before?"
"Yes, Mother, that day when our hens got into Mr. Cahoon"s garden. You remember I told you at the time."
"I don"t remember any such thing. I remember Elvira said that she and Aurora met him one afternoon, but I don"t remember your saying anything about it."
"I told you. No doubt you have forgotten it."
"Nonsense! you know I never forget. If there is one thing I can honestly pride myself on it is a good memory. You may have thought you told me, but---- Why, what"s that noise?"
The noise was a curious babble or chatter, almost as if the sound-proof door--if there was such a thing--of a parrot cage had been suddenly opened. It came from somewhere at the rear of the house and was, apparently, produced by a number of feminine voices all speaking very fast and simultaneously.
Elizabeth turned, glanced through the open door behind her, and then at Mrs. Berry. There was no doubt now concerning the troubled expression upon her face. She was troubled.
"Mother--" she began, quickly. "Excuse us, Cap"n Kendrick, please--mother, have Elvira and Susan Brackett been talking to you about buying that collection of--of what they call garden statuary at Mrs.
Seth Snowden"s auction in Harniss?"
And now Mrs. Berry, too, looked troubled. She turned red, stammered and fidgetted.
"Why--why, Elizabeth," she said, "I--I don"t see why you want to discuss that now. We have a visitor and I"m sure Captain Kendrick isn"t interested."
Her daughter did not seem to care whether the visitor was interested or not.
"Tell me, mother, please," she urged. "_Have_ they been talking with you about their plan to buy that--those things?"
Mrs. Berry"s confusion increased. "Why--why, yes," she admitted. "Elvira did tell me about it, something about it. She said it was beautiful--the fountain and the--the deer and--and how pretty they would look on the lawn and----"
"Mother, you didn"t give them the least encouragement, did you? They say--Elvira and Mrs. Brackett say you told them you thought it a beautiful idea and that you were in favor of what they call their committee going to the sale next Monday and buying those--those cast-iron dogs and children with the Fair Harbor money? I am sure you didn"t say that, did you, mother?... I"m awfully sorry, Cap"n Kendrick, to bring this matter into the middle of your call, but really it is very important and it can"t be postponed, because.... Tell me, Mother, they will be here in a moment. You didn"t say any such thing, did you?"
Mrs. Berry"s fine eyes--they had been called "starlike" twenty years before, by romantic young gentlemen--filled with tears. She wrung her hands.
"I--I only said--" she stammered, "I---- Oh, I don"t think I said anything except--except that---- Well, they were so sure they were lovely and a great bargain--and you know Captain Snowden"s estate in Harniss was perfectly _charming_. You know it was, Elizabeth!"
"Mother, you didn"t tell them they might buy them?"
"Why--why, no, I--I don"t think I did. I--I couldn"t have because I never do anything like that without consulting you.... Oh, Elizabeth, _please_, don"t let us have a scene here, with Captain Kendrick present.
What _will_ he think? Oh, dear, dear!"
Her handkerchief was called into requisition. Sears Kendrick rose from his chair. Obviously he must go and, just as obviously, he knew that in order to fulfill his promise to the judge in spirit as well as letter he ought to stay. This was just the sort of situation to shed light upon the inner secrets of the Fair Harbor and its management....
Nevertheless, he was not going to stay. His position was much too spylike to suit him. But before he could move there were other developments.
While Miss Berry and her mother had been exchanging hurried questions and answers the parrot-cage babble from the distant places somewhere at the end of the long entry beyond the door had been continuous. Now it suddenly grew louder. Plainly the babblers were approaching along that entry and babbling as they came.
A moment more and they were in the room, seven of them. In the lead was the dignified Miss Elvira herself, an impressive figure of gentility in black silk and a hair breast pin. Close behind her, of course, was the rotund Mrs. Aurora Chase, and equally close--yes even a little in advance of Aurora, was a solidly built female with gray hair, a square chin, and a very distinct mustache. The others were in the rear, but as they came in one of these, a little woman in a plain gingham dress, who wore steel spectacles upon a sharp little nose, left the group and took a stand a little apart, regarding the company with lifted chin and a general air of determination and uncompromising defiance. Later on Captain Sears was destined to learn that the little woman was Mrs.
Esther Tidditt, and the lady with the mustache Mrs. Susanna Brackett.
And that the others were respectively Mrs. Hattie Thomas, Miss Desire Peasley, and Mrs. Constance Cahoon. Each of the seven was, of course, either a captain"s widow or his sister.
Just at the moment the captain, naturally, recognized n.o.body except Miss Snowden and Mrs. Chase. Nor did he notice individual peculiarities except that something, excitement or a sudden jostle or something, had pushed Aurora"s rippling black locks to one side, with the result that the part which divided the ripples, instead of descending plumb-line fashion from the crown of the head to a point directly in the center of the forehead, now had a diagonal twist and ended over the left eye. The effect was rather astonishing, as if the upper section of the lady"s head had slipped its moorings.
He had scarcely time to notice even this, certainly none in which to speculate concerning its cause. Miss Snowden, who held a paper in her hand, stepped forward and began to speak, gesticulating with the paper as she did so. She paid absolutely no attention to the masculine visitor. She was trembling with excitement and it is doubtful if she even saw him.
"Mrs. Berry," she began, "we are here--we have come here, these ladies and I--we have come here--we---- Oh, what _is_ it?"
This last was addressed to Mrs. Chase, who was tugging at her skirt.
"Talk louder," cautioned Aurora, in a stage whisper. "I can"t hear you."
With an impatient movement Miss Snowden freed her garment and began again.
"Mrs. Berry," she repeated, "we are here, these ladies and I, to--to ask a question and to express our opinion on a very important matter. We are all agreed----"
Here she was again interrupted, this time by Mrs. Esther Tidditt, the little woman in the gingham dress. Mrs. Tidditt"s tone was brisk and sharp.
"No, we ain"t agreed neither," she announced, with a snap of her head which threatened shipwreck to the steel spectacles. "_I_ think it"s everlastin" foolishness. Don"t you say _I"m_ agreed to it, Elvira Snowden."
Elvira drew her thin form erect and glared. "We are practically agreed,"
she proclaimed crushingly. "You are the only one who doesn"t agree."
"Humph! And I"m the only one that is practical. Of all the silly----"
"Esther Tidditt, was you appointed to do the talking for this committee or was I?"
"You was, but that don"t stop me from talkin" when I want to. I ain"t on the committee, thank the good lord. I"m my own committee."
This declaration of independence was received with an outburst of indignant exclamations, in the midst of which Mrs. Chase could be heard demanding to be told what was the matter and who said what. Elizabeth Berry stilled the hubbub.
"Hush, hush!" she pleaded. "Don"t, Esther, please. You can say your word later. I want mother--and Cap"n Kendrick--to hear this, all of it."
The captain was still standing. He had risen when the "committee"
entered the room. Its members, most of them, had been so intent upon the business which had brought them there that they had ignored his presence. Now, of course, they turned to look at him. There was curiosity in their look but by no means enthusiastic approval. Miss Snowden"s nod was decidedly snippy. She looked, sniffed and turned again to Mrs. Berry.
"We want your mother to hear it," she declared. "We"ve come here so she shall hear it--all of it. If--if _others_--who may not be "specially interested want to hear they can, I suppose. I don"t know why not....
_We_ haven"t anything to hide. _We_ ain"t ashamed--are not, I should say. Are we?" turning to those behind and beside her.
Mrs. Brackett announced that she certainly should say not, so did several others. There was a general murmur of agreement. Every one continued to look at the captain. He was embarra.s.sed.
"I think perhaps I had better be goin"," he said, addressing Miss Berry.
"I ought to be gettin" home, anyway."