"'Scuse me for being late," she said, as she took her place, "but I was up late last night."
She smiled gaily1 at Philip, whose somewhat frowning face relaxed into an answering smile.
"Never mind that, Patty," said Mona, "listen to what we're planning.
Philip thinks it would be a good idea to buy Red Chimneys for the
Kiddies' Home, and we're going to motor over to Spring Beach today to
look at it."
"Fine! but why go to look at it? We all know exactly what it looks like——"
"Yes, Patty," said Philip, "but there are several matters to see about. I know the house, generally speaking, but I want to look it over with the idea of a Home in mind. Count up the rooms, get measurements and so forth2, to present in my report to the Board of Managers."
"All right, I'd like to go. I think it would be fun. Lunch at the hotel, I suppose."
"Yes, or take something with us and picnic at the house."
"Oh, that's lots nicer, don't you think so, Elise?"
"Well, you see, Patty, it doesn't matter to me which you do, as I'm not going. I'm sorry, but I've some engagements today that I must keep, so, if you don't mind, I'm going to ask to be left at home."
"All right, then it's up to us. What say, Mona? Picnic sandwiches?"
"Yes, and some Thermos3 stuff,—soup and chocolate. That will give us more time to look over the house. There are some things I want to see about, if it's to leave my possession forever."
"Why don't you keep it, Mona? Why wouldn't you and Roger like it for a summer home?"
"We talked it over, and I'm rather tired of the place. And Roger prefers going to different places each year. Father told me I could have the house, and do what I liked with it, sell it or keep it. But if they want it for this Home arrangement, I think I'll be rather glad to let it go."
The quartet started off in high spirits at the prospect4 of a jolly day. The big limousine5 was most comfortable and well equipped. An ample luncheon6 was stowed away in hampers7, and a skilful8 and careful chauffeur9 drove them at a speedy gait. It was a glorious, clear, cold, sunshiny day, and the open windows gave them plenty of fresh air.
Patty, enveloped10 in furs, nestled in one corner of the wide back seat, and Mona was in the other. The two men faced them. Not a word had passed between Patty and Philip about the night before, and Patty wondered if he intended to let the matter go by without further reference.
"You see it's this way," Philip began, addressing Patty; "I haven't really had an opportunity of telling you about it yet. We don't want to do anything much in the matter of the Home before Spring. But as Mona's house is in the market, and as it seems like an ideal place to have for the children, I thought we'd better look into it, and, if advisable, buy it and then wait a few months before doing anything further."
"I think so, too, Phil," Patty agreed. "I counted up the rooms and it will easily accommodate twenty or twenty-five kiddies, and that's as many as we can take care of, isn't it?"
"I think so; for the present, anyway. And you know, Patty, all you have to do is to approve or disapprove11 of the purchase, and what you say, goes."
"What an important personage you are, Patty," said Roger. "Your lightest word is law."
"It won't be a light word," and Patty looked serious. "I shall consider the matter carefully, and with all the wisdom and forethought I can find in my brain. This matter was left to me as a trust, and I'm not taking it lightly, I can tell you. This purchase of a house is a permanent move, not a trifling12, temporary question. And unless the place is the very right place,—righter than any other place,—why, we don't want it, that's all."
"Bravo, Patty!" and Philip looked at her, admiringly. "You've got a lot of good sense and judgment13 under that fur headpiece of yours."
"Fur headpiece!" cried Patty; "my new chinchilla toque! This is my dearest possession, if you please."
"It looks dear," observed Roger. "I believe that chinchilla animal is quite expensive."
"It is indeed," declared Mona, "my travelling suit is trimmed with it."
"Travelling suit?" asked Patty, innocently, "are you going away?"
"She says so," Roger answered for her. "She says she's going to——"
"Hush14!" cried Mona, "isn't that just like a man! Why, you mustn't tell where you're going on your wedding trip! It isn't done."
"No, of course not," chimed in Patty; "but, all the same, after you reach Palm Beach, let us know, won't you?"
"I will," declared Roger, "but, do you know, it seems as if the time would never come!"
"Nice boy," said Mona, approvingly; "doesn't he make pretty speeches,
Patty?"
"Lovely. You'll have a beautiful time on your trip. I 'most wish I was going with you?"
"Come on, Patty," said Philip, "let's make it a double affair. How about it?"
"No, thank you. I haven't any suit trimmed with chinchilla."
"You've a whole chinchilla coat on now," said Mona. "You could wear that."
"What! get married in old clothes! No-sir-ee! The best part of a wedding is the trousseau. That's the only thing that would ever persuade me to take the fatal step."
"It is fun," agreed Mona. "Oh, Patty, my green velvet15 came home yesterday! It's simply wonderful! The tunic16, you know——"
"Help! help!" cried Roger. "You girls have got us penned in here where we can't get away, but if you're going to talk about bias17 ruffling18 and side gores19, I shall jump out the window! I warn you."
"You can't stop 'em, old man," said Van Reypen, gravely, "they've got to go through with that green velvet, now they've begun on it. Proceed, Mona. The tunic was trimmed with peplum, wasn't it? and the bodice was cut en train——"
"You don't deserve to know," Mona told him, "and as for Roger, he'll see enough of that green velvet, poor man! It's so beautiful, I expect to wear it on every possible occasion."
"All right, dear," said Roger, rolling his eyes in mock devotion.
"Whatever you say, goes, my queen, my—y que—ee—n!"
"Even if I wear a rig like Alla Blaney wore last night?" asked Mona, laughing.
"Well, I must draw the line somewhere, and I should say that was the very place! If you elect to appear in a scarecrow costume of that type, I shall send you back to your father."
"No danger," and Mona shook her head. "Why do people want to make themselves such frights?"
"Their dress interprets their souls," said Van Reypen, sarcastically20, "and their souls are frights."
"Nothing of the sort, Phil," flared21 out Patty; "I'd like you to remember those people are my friends."
"Well, my dear, if you choose to have friends with souls like frights, it is, of course, your privilege; but you must allow me to express my opinion of them."
"And so you may,—but not to me."
"Very well; consider I was talking to Mona,—which I really was."
"Then continue to talk to her, for I don't want to talk to you."
"All right, pretty Patty,—pretty little sunny-faced Patty,—all right."
Philip's voice was teasing and his smile was irritating, and Patty was angry at him anyway, yet she couldn't help laughing at his speech, for she looked as cross as a thunder cloud, and she knew it. That is, as near to the crossness of a thunder cloud as Patty Fairfield could manage. Her cheeks were reddened by the cold wind and her blue eyes always looked bluer in a frosty atmosphere. And now, as an uncontrollable smile parted her scarlet22 lips, and her white teeth gleamed, and her dimples came into view, Patty justified23 Philip's term of "pretty Patty," but she quickly concealed24 her smile by sinking her chin deep into the great fur collar of her coat.
"Wasn't it a crazy party?" Mona went on, not realising she was on a dangerous subject. "They all took themselves so seriously."
"Why shouldn't they?" said Patty, coming up out of her fur cave; "it might be better if we all took ourselves more seriously,—such a lot of triflers and sillyheads as we are!"
"And such a lot of piffle-peddlers and hard-boiled eggs as they are!" said Philip, fairly snorting in disgust.
"Oh, very well!" and Patty sank again into the chinchilla cavern25.
Roger touched Mona's foot with his own, and gave her an urgent, significant glance, as he said, with a determination to change the subject, "We'll just about get to Red Chimneys in time for luncheon. Shall we have our picnic before we explore the house? I'm as hungry as three bears and a hunter."
"So'm I," agreed Van Reypen, taking the cue. "What's in the hampers?
Unless something pretty substantial, I vote we go to a hotel to feast."
"No," said Mona, "that wouldn't be half as much fun. It's the picnicking that's so jolly. If you agree, Patty," she added, for if Patty had any intention of sulking, there would be little fun in a picnic.
But Patty Fairfield was no spoilsport. She was annoyed at Philip, but that was no reason for her to make the others uncomfortable, and she responded gaily, "Oh, yes, the picnic is lots more fun. But will the house be warm enough?"
"Yes," Mona answered, "we telephoned down last night for Mr. Bates, the caretaker, to make some fires, and we can pile logs in the big hall fireplace till we roast alive. We can have the feast in the hall, if the dining-room is chilly26."
But they found the whole house fairly warm and distinctly cheery and homey-looking. Bates had aired and dusted it, and had built fires and altogether the beautiful rooms looked so attractive, that Mona declared she was half inclined not to give it up, after all.
"We could rent it some years, Roger," she said, "and live in it some years, if we wanted to."
"Just as you say, Mona," he replied; "it's your house. Wait until spring to decide, if you prefer."
"All right," said Van Reypen, "but I fear we must decide on the house we buy before that. For we want to get the place we're to have in order as soon as Spring pokes27 her nose in."
"We'll have luncheon first," Mona decided28, "and then discuss the matter."
The men opened the hampers, and the girls set the table in the great hall, near the roaring wood fire that filled the enormous fireplace. Salads and sandwiches, carefully packed, were in faultless condition, and the numerous Thermos bottles held hot soup, coffee, and chocolate. A small freezer of ice cream appeared from somewhere, and a box of confectionery contented29 the girls while the men smoked after the repast.
"It's this way," said Roger, at last, when they had talked over the whole thing thoroughly30, "Mona and I are considering our future,—yes, even our old age! And, so, there are some points that we want to discuss alone. Therefore, and wherefore, my friends,—my future wife and I will, if you please, go apart by ourselves for a bit of confidential31 chat."
"Good gracious, Roger," said Patty, "anybody would think you two were married already!"
"Same as," Roger retorted; "especially in matters of real estate, and future dwelling-houses and such things. But, really, what I'm going to do, is, to try to persuade, cajole, or coerce32 Mona into selling the place; for I know she doesn't really want it, only today, in the glamour33 of this firelight glow, it seems attractive to her. So, I must needs convince her of my superior judgment."
The two went off, laughing, and Philip sat down again beside Patty.
"How happy they are together," he said, musingly34.
"Yes; I'm thoroughly glad for them. I never saw a pair better suited to one another. Roger adores the ground Mona walks on, yet he knows just how to manage her——"
"Do you think a man ought to 'manage' the woman he loves?"
"If necessary, yes. At least he should know how to."
"And do you think I know how to manage you?"
"I don't want to be managed,—I can manage myself," Patty smiled, roguishly. "But since you ask me, Phil, no, I don't think you do know how to manage me,—not the least little mite35!"
"Teach me then, dear. I'll do just what you say."
"All right. First, you must not scold me if I like people whom you don't like."
"Oh, hang! I had forgotten all about those bumptious36 lumps! Why remind me?"
"Because it's a case in point. If you care for me, you must care for the things or people that I care for."
"But, Patty,—since you've brought up the subject, let's have it out. You can't like those humbugs,—those fake brainsters,—those sap-head pharisees——"
"Phil, suppose you stop calling them names, which mean nothing, and tell me just what it is you have against them."
"There's everything against them, Patty, and nothing for them. They pretend to wisdom, knowledge, and genius that they don't possess. They fake up a lot of patter talk and pass it off for philosophy, or psychology37, or lord knows what! And there isn't an ounce of brains in the whole fool bunch of them! That's what makes me mad! They fool you into believing their drivel is wisdom, and it isn't!"
"How do you know? You haven't such a lot of that sort of knowledge yourself."
"What sort of knowledge?"
"Soul lore——"
"Patty! Don't you ever use the word soul in the silly way they do! You have a soul, of course,—an immortal38 soul. But they don't mean that. By soul, they mean a puffball of hifalutin ideas, of nonsense about the occult and psychic39, and all that balderdash. Oh, Patty, my little girl, don't let those idiot people carry away your common sense and your plain everyday sanity40! Don't, I beg of you!"
"Look here, Phil," and Patty stared at him, thoughtfully; "I'm to give you an answer to a certain question in about a fortnight, I believe."
"You are, my Blessed Darling! To be exact, on the fifteenth of December, this present month, you are to admit,—blushingly, if you like, but unequivocally,—that I'm the one man in the world for you."
"Don't be too sure. Do you suppose I can love a man who differs so in opinion on this matter of—of psychology——"
"Yes, you blessed goose! You sure can! For, you see, this poppycock,—I beg your pardon,—this poppychology is but a flash in the pan, a rift41 in the lute42, a fly in the ointment43. Ahem, I'm getting poetical44 now! Well, in a short space of period, you will have forgotten all this rubbish,—er,—soul-rubbish, you know,—and you'll be thinking only of how glad you are that you love me and I love you,—just as Mona and Roger are, in these blissful days before their marriage. Oh, Patty, you are going to marry me, aren't you, dear? I can't stand it, if you say no."
Patty looked at him, and a troubled expression filled her blue eyes.
"I don't know, Philip. Honestly, I don't know. But it seems to me if I am going to love you such a lot two weeks from now, I ought to care more than I do now."
"Oh, that's all right, darling. It'll come all at once. Why, some day, you'll suddenly discover you love me with every bit and corner of your dear little blessed heart, and you'll wonder that you only just realised it."
"I don't know, Philip. I hope it will be like that—but I don't know."
"Don't worry about it, dear, it will be all right," and Van Reypen smiled into the anxious eyes upraised to his.
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1
gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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thermos
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| n.保湿瓶，热水瓶 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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limousine
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| n.豪华轿车 | |
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luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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hampers
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| 妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的第三人称单数 ) | |
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skilful
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| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
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chauffeur
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| n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机；v.为…开车 | |
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enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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disapprove
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| v.不赞成，不同意，不批准 | |
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trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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15
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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tunic
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| n.束腰外衣 | |
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bias
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| n.偏见，偏心，偏袒；vt.使有偏见 | |
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18
ruffling
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| 弄皱( ruffle的现在分词 )； 弄乱； 激怒； 扰乱 | |
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gores
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| n.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破( gore的名词复数 )v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破( gore的第三人称单数 ) | |
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sarcastically
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| adv.挖苦地，讽刺地 | |
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Flared
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| adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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cavern
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| n.洞穴，大山洞 | |
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chilly
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| adj.凉快的，寒冷的 | |
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pokes
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| v.伸出( poke的第三人称单数 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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coerce
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| v.强迫，压制 | |
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glamour
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| n.魔力，魅力；vt.迷住 | |
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musingly
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| adv.沉思地，冥想地 | |
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mite
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| n.极小的东西；小铜币 | |
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bumptious
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| adj.傲慢的 | |
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psychology
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| n.心理，心理学，心理状态 | |
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immortal
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| adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的 | |
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psychic
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| n.对超自然力敏感的人；adj.有超自然力的 | |
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sanity
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| n.心智健全，神智正常，判断正确 | |
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rift
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| n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入 | |
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lute
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| n.琵琶，鲁特琴 | |
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43
ointment
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| n.药膏，油膏，软膏 | |
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poetical
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| adj.似诗人的；诗一般的；韵文的；富有诗意的 | |
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