"Why? And how?" she said looking at him.
"Do you want me to go into it?"
"Yes, of course. And get me out."
"I don"t know about that. Well,?I have seen you,?to come to personalities,?I have seen you, for instance, wearing a hat and feather. I have good reason to remember it; for the play of that feather used to gratify and irritate me, both at once, beyond what was on the whole easy to bear. The hat suited the feather, and the feather became the hat; and hat and feather were precisely suited to you. _Your_ purpose, or "views," in dressing, were perfectly attained. Suppose I could shew you that the pretty brown plume represented what would keep a certain poor family from suffering through the winter months?"
If Hazel was ready to laugh at one point of this speech, she grew grave enough over the remainder; the sensitive colour stirring and deepening in her cheeks. Anything that ever came near direct personal criticism was so new to her.
"But Mr. Rollo?" she began.
"Yes," he said gently and taking her hand, "I am waiting for that.
Say just what is in your mind."
"The poor family did not come forward, or they could have had what they wanted. I did not know where they were. You do not think I invest everything in feathers,?feelings and all?"
"Hazel, I am putting a case. It is a constant case, certainly; but brought forward just now to ill.u.s.trate a principle?nothing else.
Suppose the poor family did come forward and get its supply; then I could tell you of a case of sickness, and shew you that your feather represented the professional attendance and skill which poverty could not command."
"But, but," said Hazel earnestly,?"I mean. Suppose,?I have enough for them and myself too?"
"Then I could tell you of a poor invalid, to whom a few weeks in the country would be life and health; but she cannot stop work. Or I could tell you of a family just turned out of house and home because illness has made them behindhand with the rent. I could shew you friendless children, to one of whom your feather would give safety and food for a year. Or feeble and ailing people, to whom it would supply the delicacies they cannot get nor do without. Or poor ministers, to whom it could go in an invaluable parcel of books. Or ignorant poor, seeking instruction, to whom it would be months of schooling. And then, I should but have given you samples, Hazel, which you might multiply by the hundred and the thousand, and still keep far within the literal fact."
She listened with a grave face, trying to follow; but it is hard for eighteen to realize at all what even fourscore takes in but dimly.
"You think I am extravagant," she said.
"That would be a very harsh word in this connection. I do not mean it. I was trying to answer you. You said, "Suppose I have enough for them and myself too." "
"I wonder if I am?" she said with a half laugh and yet soberly.?"I wish I could stand off and look at myself. Mr. Rollo, will you give me another instance? I shall have to forgive that feather, because it had the honour of "irritating" you, and so enlists my sympathies; but what else have you seen me wear, that could do so much more than itself?"
"The red squirrel has no business to preach to the shrew mouse,"
said he lightly, but looking at her as if doubtful how far it were best to go.
"I am not a shrew," said Hazel with somewhat prompt decision.
"Nor a mouse. Nor spun gla.s.s. So all those little preliminaries are disposed of. And I do not see why you should preach to everybody else and not to me."
Dane however had scruples. He looked at Wych Hazel, and though his gray eyes were all afire with purpose and spirit, he pursed up his lips with a low whistle and getting up from his chair took a turn or two through the large room. Finally came and stood before Wych Hazel.
"What is the cost of that dress you have on," said he. "I mean, by the yard?"
"This? I have no idea. I order what I like, and pay the bills when they come. What was the use of information with which I could do nothing?" But the colour started again.
"We shall have to get the bills, then, before we can go on. If you have kept them, that is."
"Do you mean," she said, looking up at him rather wistfully now,"
that I am _always_ what you call extravagant?"
"Never, that I know of," said he smiling down at her. "To be extravagant, is to go beyond bounds; and one who has never been conscious of the bounds, cannot be justly said to have done that."
"One ought to be conscious of proper bounds," said Hazel, as if she were a good deal disappointed in herself.
"You are only just beginning to be conscious of anything," said Dane audaciously.
"Statements?I cannot think how you find time to get them all up.
Well, Mr. Rollo? what next?"
"I should like to know how soon you are going to let me come home," said he sitting down by her.
In an instant Hazel was absolutely still, even to the ends of the small fingers that lay folded in her lap, peeping out from the broad lace shadows. And, nicely timed for her, the tea bugle just then rang out, and the door of the red room opened to admit Dingee and the tea tray; with cold partridge, and salad, and delicate loaves of bread, white and brown, and wonderful cake, and a shape of Mrs.
Byw.a.n.k"s own special quince jelly. Hazel sprang up to superintend and give directions; but when the little table was spread and wheeled up, she dismissed Dingee and went to making the tea herself.
"I often have tea here when I am alone," she said,?"I mean, when Mr. Falkirk does not come. And I thought perhaps you would like it too."
"Very much," returned Dane demurely. "So much that I am impatient for it to become a stated fact. How long do you mean to keep me at Gyda"s?"
"You have such a peculiar way of putting questions," said Hazel, emulating the composure in everything but her face. "Never wording them so they can be answered. And there is no use in disturbing them ages beforehand. Shall I give you coffee, Mr.
Rollo?"
"You are under a mistake. I am not going to be an age at Gyda"s."
"Well?then Gyda will be disappointed."
"And you??"
"You know you always have sufficient force of character to disappoint me easily."
"Have I? Would it disappoint you very much if I proposed to be married at Christmas?"
"In that case," answered Miss Wych, "the force of character would be on my side, and the disappointment on yours."
"May I ask your views?" said Dane, with a coolness that was provoking.
"Ah, be quiet!" said Hazel in desperation,?"you are perplexing all my ideas. Is it five lumps of sugar?or six?that go in when you have control of the sugar bowl?"
"The question is, just now, how many go in when you have the control?" But then he let the supper take its course for a while in commonplace peace.
"I wonder," Wych Hazel began suddenly, her thoughts flying back to the talk before tea,?"I was thinking?I have thought very often,?how many things you will find in me that you do not like?
And how little there is you would like to find!"?
A flash of the eyes came to her across the table; and then Dane remarked quietly that he had thought of that a number of times.
"Indeed I may say," he added, "that I am always thinking of it."
She laughed a little bit, catching his meaning, but the serious look came back.
"For instance," she said,?"all this that I spend on myself, you would?and do?spend on other people."
"I think nothing can equal my astonishment at that "statement,"