"The pictures are valuable, are they not??Dane would not have them, I know, if they were not worth a lot of money; and the frames?my dear, just look at the frames; little slips of wood frames, or pa.s.separtouts; nothing better. There is not a gilt one here."
"No," said Wych Hazel. "Look, Prim, how well the plain dark wood sets off this old cathedral."
"My dear! don"t you think gold would set if off better?" But then she changed the subject. "Have you been very gay lately, Hazel?"
Hazel"s thoughts were fast getting into a fight. She answered rather absently,?"I? No."
"Did you go to Mrs. Schornstein"s reception?"
"No, Mrs. Coles."
"Weren"t you invited?"
"O yes," said Wych Hazel, facing round now. "I was invited. And I have been invited everywhere else. And I have staid at home. Now _I_ shall have the honour of surprising you."
"My dear!"?said Mrs. Coles, thinking it was not the first time.
"Prim had a letter from Kitty that told us about the Schornstein"s reception, and we thought to be sure you would be there. Why didn"t you go? there, and everywhere else?"
Wych Hazel knit her brows, but then she laughed. "Prim is so glad, that she forgets to be curious," she said. "And Mrs. Coles is so curious that she forgets to be glad. Why should I have gone??
there, or anywhere?if you please?"
"My dear!?Society."
"Yes, ma"am," said Wych Hazel, meekly waiting for particulars.
"You will offend Society."
"Shall I? But suppose I have no time to keep Society in good humour?"
"My dear, that won"t do. A honeymoon is all very well; but at this rate you will lose all your friends."
"That would seem to indicate that my friends can do without me.
Very mortifying, if true."
"But Hazel, every one knows it is true in Society. If you do not let yourself be seen, people will not keep you in mind."
Wych Hazel stood thinking. Not in the least of Mrs. Coles, but of what her words called up. So thoughtfully deep in some questions of her own, that for a minute she forgot to answer her questioner.
"Maybe Dane is willing people should forget you," the lady went on chuckling. "He has got what he wants?that is enough."
But here Hazel made a vigorous diversion, and insisted that her guests should go and lie down until it was near time for dinner.
Then she herself stepped into her carriage and went out to think.
CHAPTER x.x.x.
A TRAVELLING CLOCK.
"How shall I stand it?" she was saying to herself, as the wheels rolled smoothly on. "How shall ever bear six more such days! Oh how could he ask them!?how could he, how could he!?They come right in between and put him ten miles away. My pleasure should have come first.?It is not fair."
But here a troublesome question presented itself: what is "fair"?
from people who have everything, to those who have not? And then one of the new maxims which Hazel had but lately learned to love came softly in.
"Use hospitality one to another"?so it ran. But how? "Without grudging."
"And I have grudged every minute since she came!" thought Hazel, her hands folded over her eyes. "Well, I did not want her.?No, but Dane did. Of course,?yes,?I must "use hospitality" for him. But I do think, just now, he might have been content with me!?But by and by he could not give them this pleasure.?Well, they needn"t have it!"
"Without grudging"?"without grudging"?either time or trouble or one"s own pleasure. Wych Hazel drew a long sigh. Then the words began again.
"Charity seeketh not her own."?"Beareth all things."?"Endureth all things."
Wych Hazel pulled the check string and turned towards home.
"Resolved," she said to herself; "first, that Dane was extremely unreasonable to ask them. Second, that that is none of my business. Third, that I will do everything for them I can. If I keep them on the go, they won"t know how I feel." But there came in another message.
"Every man as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity, for G.o.d loveth a cheerful giver." So it must be heart work, after all!?Wych Hazel sighed a little as she went off to dress; and Rollo saw a thoughtful face opposite him at table, and got none of the shy dainty looks to which he was accustomed. Under the commenting eyes of Mrs. Coles, Hazel felt as if she could not look at him at all!
Nevertheless that was not a bad evening. For when two people are beaming with pleasure and through your means, a little reflection of the pleasure, at least, falls upon you. And Mrs. Coles and Prim were in a state of ecstasy; a fulness of satisfaction which at the moment left nothing to be wished for. It was not the same in the two. Mrs. Coles feeling herself for the time _bien placee_ and foreseeing varieties of social and other delights attainable in such circ.u.mstances; but Prim was happy in being with Dane again.
They had plenty to talk about all the evening; for there was much to tell about things in the Hollow, and Arthur"s reports, and Prim"s use of the money she had found in her new secretary; and Dr.
Maryland"s delight in his new books, and how the new carpet on the library made the old place look a different thing; also there was some laughing pleasant chatter about Prim"s trunk. It was funny to see how both the ladies sat with their faces turned towards Dane three-quarters of the time; Prudentia possibly with a desire to propitiate, Primrose forgetting everything else in the moment"s pleasure of seeing him; and both of them being a little unconsciously shy towards Hazel. However, that evening rolled off well; and also the next day was filled with business which left no leisure for spare.
The evening brought leisure. But Dane was a shield for Hazel whenever he was present. Nothing of Mrs. Coles" could touch her; it was sure to be caught midway, shuttle-wise, and turned back, before even Hazel"s battledore could have a chance at it. He was gay and hospitable all the while; making Prim very happy, and even Mrs. Coles too. The latter lady was on her good behaviour.
Nevertheless, she could not quite lose her opportunity. Nature is stronger than policy.
"Hazel tells us you have been very selfish, and not taken her anywhere all these weeks, Dane," she remarked bridling, with her peculiar smooth manner of insinuating a charge or a criticism.
"Yes," said Dane carelessly. "You see, we have really had so many people to attend to."
"But Hazel did not speak of your going anywhere?"
"Take my report of the matter, and let Hazel"s alone."
"Well, she certainly is right in one thing; you did not go to Mrs.
Schornstein"s reception?"
"She is right; we did not."
"Nor to the ball at Mrs. Powder"s?"
"True; we did not."
"Don"t you think you ought?"
"If we had thought we ought, I suppose we should have gone," said Dane, with a manner of lazy indifference which sometimes came over him.
"But my dear! There are things one owes to Society."
"I believe I never understood what is meant by my obligations to Society," said Dane. "What has Society done, that we should be in debt to it?"