"What are they saying?" whispered Aunt Claudia, still tense in the middle of the room.
"Hush," Becky waved a warning hand.
"There is," said the Judge, in a declamatory manner, "everything in a name. The Bannisters of Huntersfield, the Paines of King"s Crest, the Randolphs of Cloverdale, do you think these things don"t count, Truxton?"
"I think there"s a lot of rot in it," said young Beaufort, "when we were fighting for democracy over there----"
The shot told. "Democracy has nothing to do with it----"
"Democracy," said Truxton, "has a great deal to do with it. The days of kings and queens are dead, they have married each other for generations and have produced offspring like--William of Germany.
Cla.s.s a.s.sumptions of superiority are withered branches on the tree of civilization. Mary is as good as I am any day."
"You wrote things like this," said the Judge, interested in spite of himself, and loving argument.
"I wrote them because I believed them. I am ready to apologize for not telling you of my marriage before this. I have no apologies to make for my wife----
"I have no apologies to make for my wife," Truxton repeated. "I fought for democratic ideals. I am practising them. Mary is a lady. You must admit that, Grandfather."
"I do admit it," said the Judge slowly, "in the sense that you mean it.
But in the county sense? Do you think the Merriweathers will ask her to their ball? Do you think Bob Flippin will dine with my friends to-night?"
"I don"t think he will expect to dine with you, Grandfather. I think if you ask him, he will refuse. But if you take your friendship from him it will break his heart----"
"Who said I would take my friendship away from Bob Flippin?"
"He is afraid--you may----"
"Because you married Mary?"
"Yes."
The Judge was breathing hard. "Whom does he think I"d go fishing with?"
"Do you think he"ll want to go fishing with you if you cast off Mary?"
The Judge had a vision of life without Bob Flippin. On sunshiny days there would be no one to cut bait for him, no one to laugh with him at the dogs as they sat waiting for their corn-cakes, no one to listen with flattering attention to his old, old tales.
It had not occurred to him that Bob Flippin, too, might have his pride.
He sat down heavily in a porch chair.
"Go and get Mary," he exploded; "bring her here. The thing is done.
The milk is spilled. And there"s no use crying over it. And if you think you two young people can separate me and Bob Flippin----"
Mrs. Beaufort and Becky came down presently, to find the old man gazing, frowning, into s.p.a.ce.
"I have told him to bring Mary, Claudia, but I must say that I am bitterly disappointed."
"Mary is a good little thing, Father." Aunt Claudia"s voice shook.
The old man looked up at her. "It is hardest for you, my dear. And I have helped to make it hard."
He reached out his hand to her. She took it. "He is my son--and I love him----"
"And I love you, Claudia."
"May I get the blue room ready?"
The blue room was the bridal chamber at Huntersfield; kept rather sacredly at other times for formal purposes.
"Do as you please. The house is yours, my dear."
And so that night the lights of the blue room shone on Fiddle Flippin and her new grandmother.
"Do you think she would let me put her to bed?" Mrs. Beaufort had asked Mary.
"If you will sing, "Jack-Sam Bye.""
Mary pulled the last little garment from the pink plump body, and Fiddle, like a rosy Cupid, counted her toes gleefully in the middle of the wide bed.
"I told Truxton," Mary said suddenly, "that he might not want to call her "Fiddle." The whole neighborhood says "Fiddle Flippin.""
"It is a dear little name," Aunt Claudia was bending adoringly over the baby, "but Fidelity is better--Fidelity Branch Beaufort----"
"I want her to be as proud of her name as I am," Mary"s voice had a thrilling note. "It is a great thing to know that my child has in her the blood of all those wonderful people whose portraits hang in the hall. I want her to be worthy of her name."
She could have said nothing better. Aunt Claudia"s face was lighted by the warmth in her heart. "Such a lot of ancestors for one little fat Fidelity," she said; "put on her nightgown, Mary, and I"ll rock her to sleep."
CHAPTER X
A GENTLEMAN"S LIE
I
Becky was not well. Aunt Claudia, perceiving her listlessness, decided that she needed a change. Letters were written to the Nantucket grandfather, and plans made for Becky"s departure. She was to spend a month on the island, come back to Boston to the Admiral"s big old house on the water-side of Beacon Street, and return to Huntersfield for Christmas.
Becky felt that it was good of everybody to take so much trouble. She really didn"t care in the least. She occupied herself steadily with each day"s routine. She bent her head over the fine embroidery of a robe she was making for Mary. She cut the flowers for the vases and bowls, she recited nursery rhymes to Fiddle, entrancing that captious young person with "Oranges and Lemons" and "Lavender"s Blue." She read aloud to the Judge, planned menus for Aunt Claudia, and was in fact such an angel in the house that Truxton, after three days of it, protested.
"Oh, what"s the matter with Becky, Moms?"
"Why?"
"She hasn"t any pep."
"I know."