"It"s just as papa said," she remarked, coming to the rug, her survey being ended. The childishness and sweet gravity of her tone were striking.
Marjorie removed the white hood that she had travelled from California in, and, brushing back the curls that shone in the light like threads of gold, kissed her forehead and cheeks and rosy lips.
"I am your Cousin Marjorie, and you are my little cousin."
"I like you, Cousin Marjorie," the child said.
"Of course you do, and I love you. Are you Prue, or Jeroma?"
"I"m Prue," she replied with dignity. "Don"t you _ever_ call me Jeroma again, ever; papa said so."
Marjorie laughed and kissed her again.
"I never, never will," she promised.
"Aunt Prue says "Prue" every time."
Marjorie unb.u.t.toned the gray cloak and drew off the gray gloves; Prue threw off the cloak and then lifted her foot for the rubber to be pulled off.
"I had no rubbers; Aunt Prue bought these in New York."
"Aunt Prue is very kind," said Marjorie, as the second little foot was lifted.
"Does she buy you things, too?" asked Prue.
"Yes, ever and ever so many things."
"Does she buy _everybody_ things?" questioned Prue, curiously.
"Yes," laughed Marjorie; "she"s everybody"s aunt."
"No, I don"t buy everybody things. I buy things for you and Marjorie because you are both my little girls."
Turning suddenly Marjorie put both arms about Miss Prudence"s neck: "I"ve missed you, dreadfully, Miss Prudence; I almost cried to-night."
"So that is the story I find in your eyes. But you haven"t asked me the news."
"You haven"t seen mother, or Linnet, or Morris,--they keep my news for me." But she flushed as she spoke, reproaching herself for not being quite sincere.
Prue stood on the hearth rug, looking up at the portrait of the lady over the mantel.
"Don"t pretend that you don"t want to hear that Nannie Rheid has put herself through," began Miss Prudence in a lively voice, "crammed to the last degree, and has been graduated a year in advance of time that she may be married this month. Her father was inexorable, she must be graduated first, and she has done it at seventeen, so he has had to redeem his promise and allow her to be married. Her "composition"--that is the old-fashioned name--was published in one of the literary weeklies, and they all congratulate themselves and each other over her success. But her eyes are big, and she looks as delicate as a wax lily; she is all nerves, and she laughs and talks as though she could not stop herself.
What do you think of her as a school girl triumph?"
"It isn"t tempting. I like myself better. I want to be _slow_. Miss Prudence, I don"t want to hurry anything."
"I approve of you, Marjorie. Now what is this little girl thinking about?"
"Is that your mamma up there?"
"Yes."
"She looks like you."
"Yes, I am like her; but there is no white in her hair. It is all black, Prue."
"I like white in hair for old ladies."
Marjorie laughed and Miss Prudence smiled. She was glad that being called "an old lady" could strike somebody as comical.
"Was papa in this room a good many times?"
"Yes, many times."
Miss Prudence could speak to his child without any sigh in her voice.
"Do you remember the last time he was here?"
"Yes," very gently.
"He said I would like your house and I do."
"Nannie is to marry one of Helen"s friends, Marjorie; her mother thought he used to care for Helen, but Nannie is like her."
"Yes," said Marjorie, "I remember. Hollis told me."
"And my best news is about Hollis. He united with the Church a week or two ago; Mrs. Rheid says he is the happiest Christian she ever saw. He says he has not been _safe_ since Helen died--he has been thinking ever since."
Tears were so near to Marjorie"s eyes that they brimmed over; could she ever thank G.o.d enough for this? others may have been praying for him, but she knew her years of prayers were being answered. She would never feel sorrowful or disappointed about any little thing again, for what had she so longed for as this? How rejoiced his mother must be! Oh, that she might write to him and tell him how glad she was! But she could not do that. She could tell G.o.d how glad she was, and if Hollis never knew it would not matter.
"In the spring he is to go to Europe for the firm."
"He will like that," said Marjorie, finding her voice.
"He is somebody to be depended on. But there is the tea-bell, and my little traveller is hungry, for she would not eat on the train and I tempted her with fruit and crackers."
"Aunt Prue, I _like_ it here. May I see up stairs, too?"
"You must see the supper table first. And then Marjorie may show you everything while I write to Uncle John, to tell him that our little bird has found her nest."
Marjorie gave up her place that night in the wide, old-fashioned mahogany bedstead beside Miss Prudence and betook herself to the room that opened out of Miss Prudence"s, a room with handsome furniture in ash, the prevailing tint of the pretty things being her favorite shade of light blue.
"That is a maiden"s room," Miss Prudence had said; "and when Prue has a maiden"s room it shall be in rose."
Marjorie was not jealous, as she had feared she might be, of the little creature who nestled close to Miss Prudence; she felt that Miss Prudence was being comforted in the child. She was too happy to sleep that night.
In the years afterward she did not leave Hollis out of her prayers, but she never once thought to pray that he might be brought back again to be her friend. Her prayer for him had been answered and with that she was well content.