Part 40 (1/2)
Yet in spite of her anger and offended pride, her eyes are wet and her hands trembling as she reaches Cecil's room and lays the snow-white flowers upon her table.
Cecil is still lying comfortably ensconced among her pillows, but has sufficient wakefulness about her to notice Molly's agitation.
”You have been quarreling, _ma belle_,” she says, raising herself on her elbow; ”don't deny it. Was it with Marcia or Tedcastle?”
”Tedcastle,” Molly replies, laughing against her will at the other's shrewdness, and in consequence wiping away a few tears directly afterward. ”It is nothing; but he is really intolerably jealous, and I can't and won't put up with it.”
”Oh, that some one was jealous about me!” says Cecil, with a prolonged sigh. ”Go on.”
”It was nothing, I tell you. All because Philip kindly picked a little bit of dust out of my eye.”
”How good of Philip! considering all the dust you have thrown into his of late. And Ted objected?”
”Yes, and was very rude into the bargain. I wouldn't have believed it of him.”
”Well, you know yourself you have been going on anyhow with Philip during the past few days.”
”Oh, Cecil, how can you say so? Am I to turn my back on him when he comes to speak to me? And even supposing I had flirted egregiously with him (which is not the case), is that a reason why one is to be scolded and abused and have all sorts of the most dreadful things said to one?”
(I leave my readers to deplore the glaring exaggeration of this speech.) ”He looked, too, as if he could have eaten me then and there.
I know this, I shan't forgive him in a hurry.”
”Poor Ted! I expect he doesn't have much of a time with you,” says Cecil, shaking her head.
”Are you laughing at me?” cries Molly, wrathfully. ”Then make ready for death.” And, taking the smaller Cecil in her arms, she most unkindly lifts her from among her cozy cus.h.i.+ons and deposits her upon the floor.
”There! Now will you repent? But come, Cecil, get up, and prepare for your husband's reception. I will be your maid to-night, if you will let me. What will you wear?”
”Pale blue. It suits me best. See, that is my dress.” Pointing to a light-blue silk, trimmed with white lace, that lies upon the bed. ”Will you really help me to dress? But you cannot do my hair?”
”Try me.”
She does try, and proves so highly satisfactory that Cecil is tempted to offer splendid wages if she will consent to come and live with her.
The hair is a marvel of artistic softness. Every fresh jewel lends a grace; and when at length Cecil is attired in her blue gown, she is all that any one could possibly desire.
”Now, honestly, how do I look?” she asks, turning round to face Molly.
”Anything like a housemaid?” With a faint laugh that has something tremulous about it.
”I never saw you half so charming,” Molly answers, deliberately. ”Oh, Cecil! what will he say when he finds out--when he discovers how you have deceived him?”
”Anything he likes, my dear!” exclaims Cecil, gayly giving a last touch to the little soft fair locks near her temples. ”He ought to be pleased. It would be a different thing altogether, and a real grievance, if, being like the housemaid, I had sent him a photo of Venus. He might justly complain then; but now---- There, I can do no more!” says her ladys.h.i.+p, with a sigh, half pleased, half fearful. ”If I weren't so shamefully nervous I would do very well.”
”I don't believe you are half as frightened for yourself at this moment as I am for you. If I were in your shoes I should faint. It is to me an awful ordeal.”
”I am so white, too,” says Cecil, impatiently. ”You haven't--I suppose, Molly--but of course you haven't----”
”What, dear?”
”Rouge. After all, Therese was right. When leaving town she asked me should she get some; and, when I rejected the idea with scorn, said there was no knowing when one might require it. Perhaps afterward she did put it in. Let us ring and ask her.”