The mother said this so that the father might defend her daughter to her. He did not fail. "Irene"s got the easiest part, the way I look at it. And you"ll see that Pen"ll know how to behave when the time comes."
"What do you want she should do?"
"I haven"t got so far as that yet. What are we going to do about Irene?"
"What do you want Pen should do," repeated Mrs. Lapham, "when it comes to it?"
"Well, I don"t want she should take him, for ONE thing," said Lapham.
This seemed to satisfy Mrs. Lapham as to her husband, and she said in defence of Corey, "Why, I don"t see what HE"S done. It"s all been our doing."
"Never mind that now. What about Irene?"
"She says she"s going to Lapham to-morrow. She feels that she"s got to get away somewhere. It"s natural she should."
"Yes, and I presume it will be about the best thing FOR her. Shall you go with her?"
"Yes."
"Well." He comfortlessly took up a newspaper again, and she rose with a sigh, and went to her room to pack some things for the morrow"s journey.
After dinner, when Irene had cleared away the last trace of it in kitchen and dining-room with unsparing punctilio, she came downstairs, dressed to go out, and bade her father come to walk with her again. It was a repet.i.tion of the aimlessness of the last night"s wanderings.
They came back, and she got tea for them, and after that they heard her stirring about in her own room, as if she were busy about many things; but they did not dare to look in upon her, even after all the noises had ceased, and they knew she had gone to bed.
"Yes; it"s a thing she"s got to fight out by herself," said Mrs Lapham.
"I guess she"ll get along," said Lapham. "But I don"t want you should misjudge Pen either. She"s all right too. She ain"t to blame."
"Yes, I know. But I can"t work round to it all at once. I shan"t misjudge her, but you can"t expect me to get over it right away."
"Mamma," said Irene, when she was hurrying their departure the next morning, "what did she tell him when he asked her?"
"Tell him?" echoed the mother; and after a while she added, "She didn"t tell him anything."
"Did she say anything, about me?"
"She said he mustn"t come here any more."
Irene turned and went into her sister"s room. "Good-bye, Pen," she said, kissing her with an effect of not seeing or touching her. "I want you should tell him all about it. If he"s half a man, he won"t give up till he knows why you won"t have him; and he has a right to know."
"It wouldn"t make any difference. I couldn"t have him after----"
"That"s for you to say. But if you don"t tell him about me, I will."
""Rene!" "Yes! You needn"t say I cared for him. But you can say that you all thought he--cared for--me."
"O Irene----"
"Don"t!" Irene escaped from the arms that tried to cast themselves about her. "You are all right, Pen. You haven"t done anything.
You"ve helped me all you could. But I can"t--yet."
She went out of the room and summoned Mrs. Lapham with a sharp "Now, mamma!" and went on putting the last things into her trunks.
The Colonel went to the station with them, and put them on the train.
He got them a little compartment to themselves in the Pullman car; and as he stood leaning with his lifted hands against the sides of the doorway, he tried to say something consoling and hopeful: "I guess you"ll have an easy ride, Irene. I don"t believe it"ll be dusty, any, after the rain last night."
"Don"t you stay till the train starts, papa," returned the girl, in rigid rejection of his futilities. "Get off, now."
"Well, if you want I should," he said, glad to be able to please her in anything. He remained on the platform till the cars started. He saw Irene bustling about in the compartment, making her mother comfortable for the journey; but Mrs. Lapham did not lift her head. The train moved off, and he went heavily back to his business.
From time to time during the day, when he caught a glimpse of him, Corey tried to make out from his face whether he knew what had taken place between him and Penelope. When Rogers came in about time of closing, and shut himself up with Lapham in his room, the young man remained till the two came out together and parted in their salutationless fashion.
Lapham showed no surprise at seeing Corey still there, and merely answered, "Well!" when the young man said that he wished to speak with him, and led the way back to his room.
Corey shut the door behind them. "I only wish to speak to you in case you know of the matter already; for otherwise I"m bound by a promise."
"I guess I know what you mean. It"s about Penelope."
"Yes, it"s about Miss Lapham. I am greatly attached to her--you"ll excuse my saying it; I couldn"t excuse myself if I were not."
"Perfectly excusable," said Lapham. "It"s all right."
"Oh, I"m glad to hear you say that!" cried the young fellow joyfully.
"I want you to believe that this isn"t a new thing or an unconsidered thing with me--though it seemed so unexpected to her."
Lapham fetched a deep sigh. "It"s all right as far as I"m concerned--or her mother. We"ve both liked you first-rate."
"Yes?"
"But there seems to be something in Penelope"s mind--I don"t know--"
The Colonel consciously dropped his eyes.
"She referred to something--I couldn"t make out what--but I hoped--I hoped--that with your leave I might overcome it--the barrier--whatever it was. Miss Lapham--Penelope--gave me the hope--that I was--wasn"t--indifferent to her----"
"Yes, I guess that"s so," said Lapham. He suddenly lifted his head, and confronted the young fellow"s honest face with his own face, so different in its honesty. "Sure you never made up to any one else at the same time?"
"NEVER! Who could imagine such a thing? If that"s all, I can easily."
"I don"t say that"s all, nor that that"s it. I don"t want you should go upon that idea. I just thought, may be--you hadn"t thought of it."
"No, I certainly hadn"t thought of it! Such a thing would have been so impossible to me that I couldn"t have thought of it; and it"s so shocking to me now that I don"t know what to say to it."
"Well, don"t take it too much to heart," said Lapham, alarmed at the feeling he had excited; "I don"t say she thought so. I was trying to guess--trying to----"
"If there is anything I can say or do to convince you----"
"Oh, it ain"t necessary to say anything. I"m all right."