Part 8 (1/2)

Doubtless they were very grand and clever indeed, and would think her more trying than ever. But although all her shyness threatened for a moment, it was summarily routed by her Spanish pride.

She rose as the phaeton drew up, and went to the head of the steps, smiling. They might find her uninteresting, but not _gauche_.

The girls came gracefully forward and kissed her warmly.

”_Dear_ 'Lena,” said Miss Montgomery. ”We wouldn't wait: we wanted so much to see you again. And besides, you know,” with a mischievous smile, ”we owe you a great many luncheon calls.”

Miss Brannan exclaimed almost simultaneously, ”How you have improved, 'Lena! I should never have known you.” And if her tone was conventional, it fell upon ears untuned to conventions.

It was Magdalena's first compliment, and she thrilled with pleasure. ”My face looks very much the same in the gla.s.s,” she said. ”But I am glad to see you back. Let us sit on this side.”

She led the girls a little distance down the verandah; she was trembling inwardly, but felt that she should get along better if relieved of her mother's ear. Tiny began at once to talk of her delight in being home again, and Magdalena had time to recover herself.

Tiny Montgomery was an exquisitely pretty little creature, very small but admirably proportioned, although thin. Her brown eyes were very sweet under well-pencilled brows, her nose aquiline and fine. The mouth was barely rubbed in, but the teeth were beautiful, the smile as sweet as the eyes. She had the smallest feet and hands in California, and to-day they were clad in white _suede_ with no detriment to their fame.

She wore a frock of white embroidered nainsook and a leghorn covered with white feathers. She talked rather slowly, in language carefully chosen, although plentifully laden with superlatives. Her voice was very sweet, and highly cultivated.

Ila Brannan was taller, with a slender full figure, and very smart. She wore a closely fitting frock of tan-coloured cloth, a small toque, and a veil covered with large velvet dots. She was very olive, and her cheeks were deeply coloured. Her black eyes had a slanting expression. Young as she was, there was a vague suggestion of maturity about her. She smiled pleasantly and echoed Tiny's little enthusiasms, which had an air of elaborate rehearsal, but she seemed to have brought something of Paris with her, and to adapt herself but ill to her old surroundings.

Magdalena did not feel at ease with either of them, but concluded that she liked Tiny best.

”Tell me something of Helena,” she said finally. ”Of course you saw her in Paris.”

”Oh, constantly,” replied Tiny. ”She's perfectly beautiful, 'Lena, _perfectly_. Mamma took her with us one night to the opera, and so many people asked her who the beautiful American was. She has grown _quite_ tall, and is wonderfully stylish. Colonel Belmont has simply showered money on her since he went over, and she will have beautiful clothes, and cut us _all_ out when she comes back.” But Tiny did not look in the least disturbed, and peeped surrept.i.tiously into the polished gla.s.s of the window.

”She'll have all the men wild about her,” announced Ila; she spoke with a slight French accent, which was not affected, as she had spent the greater part of the last five years in Paris. ”And she is going to be a very das.h.i.+ng belle. She informed me that she shall run to fires and do whatever she chooses, and make people like it whether they want to or not. But I doubt if she will ever be fast.”

”Fast!” echoed Magdalena, a street of painted women flas.h.i.+ng into memory; she knew of no degrees. ”Helena! How can you think of such a thing in connection with her!”

Ila laughed softly. ”You baby!” she said.

Tiny frowned. ”You know, Ila,” she said coldly, ”that I do not like to talk of such things.”

”Well, you need not,” said Ila, coolly.

Tiny lifted her brows. ”I think you know you cannot talk to me of what I do not wish to hear,” she said with great dignity.

Magdalena turned to her, the warm light of approval in her eyes; and Ila, unabashed, rose and said, ”I think I'll go over and talk scandal for awhile,” and joined the older women, whose numbers had been reinforced.

Magdalena longed to ask Tiny if she really had improved, but was too shy. Tiny said almost directly,--

”You look _so_ intellectual, 'Lena. Are you? I feel quite afraid.”

”Oh, no, no!” replied Magdalena, hastily, ”I really know very little; I wish I knew more.” She hesitated a moment; it was difficult for her to expand even to the playmate of her childhood, but an alluring prospect had suddenly opened. ”Of course you will have a great deal of leisure this summer,” she added. ”Shall we read together?”

Tiny rose with a sweet but rather forced smile. ”I am not going to let you see how ignorant I am,” she said. ”But I feel very rude: I should go over and talk to Mrs. Yorba.”

When they had gone, Magdalena sat for a time staring straight before her, unheeding her mother's comments. The snub had been prettily administered, but it had cut deep into her sensitiveness. She realised that she was quite unlike these other girls of her own age, had never been like them; it was not Europe that had made the difference. ”I would not care,” she thought, ”if they would keep away from me altogether. I have what I care much more for. But I must see them nearly every day and try to interest them. And I know they will find me as dull as when I gave those dreadful luncheons.”

She was recalled by a direct observation of her mother's.