"Wait till after dinner, then," said he laughing.
So they waited; and when the servant had ended his ministrations and gone, Dane took a position of ease beside Wych Hazel on the sofa, and gathered up the notes in his hand.
"Now, Wych, what is the question here?"
"Why, as of course?of course I should not go anywhere now without you, I must know first where you will go," said Hazel with one of her pretty shy looks. "And as some occasions demand? But I am in inextricable confusion about my dress!"?she said, breaking off with a laugh. "I may as well confess it at once."
"Does my bird of paradise want room to spread her wings?" said he, looking in her face.
"And shew herself? No, I have done enough of that."
"If we keep the key-note of life"s music clear and true, we shall find the chords, Wych. How are you in confusion?"
" "If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light," " she answered thoughtfully. "But do you know, light is very confusing sometimes?"
"No."
"Yes, it is. When I did not care what I did, I knew exactly what to do."
"What is it you are in doubt about now?"
"Everything. Ought I to refuse all invitations, and wear grey serge?
But the reverse of wrong is not right."
Rollo laughed, while yet he looked serious. "The question is, Wych, what we will do with our life? There is not time enough, nor strength, nor even in our case money enough, to meet the demands of the gay world and of the other part of the world too.
Do what we will with our millions, there will be poor and suffering and ignorant people that we cannot reach; and how can we take hundreds and thousands for dresses and entertainments, when the work of our Master wants it all? I propose that we be neither hermits nor wear serge; but go wherever we can get good?or give it; and dress for the utmost efficiency in both departments. What do you think of that for a general principle?"
" "Good" "?Hazel repeated. "I suppose pleasure might sometimes come under that head."
"Let us see how much of that article we are refusing just now," said Dane drily, taking a still more easy position and turning over the notes in his hand. "No. 1, Mrs. Schornstein"s reception. I can see that from here. Crowds, gaslights, twelve inches standing room for one"s body, one"s mind in the condition of Noah"s dove when the waters were upon the earth!?Mrs. Lefevre?"German." As I do not dance, and as you do not, what should we do, d.u.c.h.ess??Mrs.
Post; that will be a repet.i.tion of Mrs. Lefevre"s, only the rooms will be dressed with flowers; but we can see flowers any day in a greenhouse and by daylight, and without the necessity of waltzing up to them.?Bampton Foulard. Ah, that is a variety! Science and Literature trying to play puss in the corner, while Fashion sweeps over the floor and catches their feet in her train. I know Mrs.
Bampton"s receptions; they are such a thorough "Durcheinander"
that if you by chance see anything there you want, you can"t get it; nor get at it.?Southgate; the point there is supper; but it is a point you cannot reach without ardent exertion. I never liked that sort of exertion.?Barsch; music. And the music will be fearful. I would rather drive round Central Park till it is over.?Wallings; cards and supper and dancing.?What do you say, Hazel? It is all one story.
The pleasure is to seek."
"I was not thinking of my own pleasure. I am not in a going-out mood. But suppose, pleasure to other people?"
"We will give them all we can, consistently with higher interests.
But our directions are,?"When thou makest a feast, call not thy _rich_ neighbours."?You see, it is bad economy to take what would give a year"s pleasure to a hundred people, and use it to give merely a languid moment"s satisfaction to a dozen or two."
"You mean," said Hazel studying the point,?"at least _I_ should mean,?that the care and the cost should be kept for people whose lives are hard and empty."
Dane was silent a minute. "Hazel," said he gently, "do you dislike to have Prim come for a few days?"
Hazel paused.
"Don"t be curious," she said. "Once when a little mouse jumped out of a dish, n.o.body could ever get it back again!"
"It would be a great pleasure, to Prim. I think we could bear it for a week, even with Mrs. Coles? Hey?"
"I dare say you can.?And if I cannot, you will never know," said Wych Hazel with a laugh. "So the way is clear."
"I know Prudentia wants to consult a physician here. So I will write at once to Prim?and you will give Mrs. Byw.a.n.k her orders about the care of Heinert? And tell her, Wych, that Arthur will be at Chickaree a good deal also, till we come home."
Hazel wrought her fingers into a knot of peculiar ingenuity, at thought of Mrs. Coles, but other remark made none.
A few days more brought the dreaded invasion. The ladies came of course; and as it fell out, Hazel had to receive them alone, Dane being down town at his business; for Prim and her sister arrived at midday, having found it good to spend a night on the road. The state of jocund delight in which they were, might go far to justify Rollo in having given the invitation; Prim was beaming, and Mrs.
Coles proudly exultant. To be received into such an establishment; to be at home there; and without a cent of expense! Visions of pleasure filled the mind of both sisters; but very unlike; for while Prudentia dreamed of visits and shops, Prim thought of sitting beside Dane again, and at his own fireside.
The luncheon which Hazel dispensed to them, could not fail in such a mood to be greatly enjoyed; and talk flowed freely.
Prudentia, being a guest, felt herself on vantage ground and a good deal more unrestrained than usual. She was in a patronising mood generally. But Prim was grateful.
"It seems almost like Chickaree, Hazel," said the latter, "to see you sitting there. And have you all these rooms to yourself? How delightful! What beautiful rooms!"
"But so high up!" her sister remarked. "I am surprised that Dane did not get you rooms on the first floor, Hazel?"
The young mistress of the "rooms," it may be noted, was a trifle grand and stately to-day, and in a particularly unapproachable dress.
"Yes?" she said calmly. "I think one"s friends very often surprise one."
"I know they do," said Primrose. "I wonder why they do. Other people never surprise one so much."
"And how does Dane behave, in his new character?" Mrs. Coles went on, sipping her cup of tea with great satisfaction.
"Mr. Rollo is quite well, thank you."
"To be quite well?with him?used to mean, that he had his own way," said the lady blandly, but with a peculiar look over the table.
"Dear me! how delicious this tea is. You don"t get such at our little country shops.?Does it mean the same thing still? Do you let him have his way as much as he likes?"
"Did you never dare cross him in the old time?" said Wych Hazel with one of her mild looks of astonishment.
"_I_ dared," said Mrs. Coles with a smile. "O yes, _I_ dared, but I was the only one. I always wondered how it would be with his wife."
n.o.body enlightened her, and the talk pa.s.sed on to other subjects.
The truce held till the ladies left the table. Then began an examination in detail of the various articles in the room which did not come strictly under the head of furniture; and indeed they were somewhat tempting. For the walls were hung with engravings, there were one or two nice bits of marble and bronze, and a number of small useful things which were at the same time made to be beautiful as well. Primrose sat down to study a fine copy of the "Shadow of the Cross."
"Do these pictures all belong to the house?" Mrs. Coles asked.
"None of them," Wych Hazel answered, standing behind Prim"s chair.
"But what a quant.i.ty! Have Dane and you been picking all these up?"
"Picking up?choosing?what you will."
"My dear!"?
There was a good deal of unspoken thoughts half uttered in the exclamation, and Mrs. Coles then went on.?"But why don"t he have them in better frames? These are very common, it seems to me."
"You think they do not suit the pictures?"