Part 19 (2/2)

”Mother,” she said, earnestly, ”we must be very firm in this matter. We simply can't afford to spend any money just now except for necessities.

If they come to you again you must tell them so. You will, won't you?”

And now Mrs. Berry's agitation reached its climax. She turned upon her daughter.

”Oh, I suppose so,” she cried hysterically, ”I suppose so! I shall have to go through another scene and be spoken to as if--as if I were dirt under these women's feet instead of being as far above them in--in position and education and refinement as the clouds. Why can't I have peace--just a little peace and quiet? Why must I _always_ have to undergo humiliation after humiliation? I----”

”Mother, mother, please don't----”

But her mother was beyond reason.

”And you--” she went on, ”you, my own daughter, why must you always take the other side, and put me in such positions, and--and humiliate me before--before---- Oh, why can't I die? I _wish_ I were dead! I do! I do!”

She burst into a storm of hysterical sobs and hurried toward the door.

Elizabeth would have gone to her but she pushed her aside and rushed into the front hall and up the stairs. They heard her sobs upon the upper landing.

Sears Kendrick, feeling more like an interloper than ever, looked in embarra.s.sment at the flowered carpet. He did not dare look at the young woman beside him. He had never in his life felt more sorry for any one.

Judge Knowles had said he hoped that he--Kendrick--might obtain a general idea of the condition of affairs in the Fair Harbor. The scenes he had just witnessed had given him a better idea of that condition than anything else could have done. And, somehow or other, it was the last of those scenes which had affected him most. Elizabeth Berry had faced the sarcasms and sneers of the committee, had never lost her poise or her temper, had never attempted to s.h.i.+ft the responsibility, had never reproached her mother for the hesitating weakness which was at the base of all the trouble. And, in return, her mother had accused her of--all sorts of things.

And yet when Elizabeth spoke it was in defence of that mother.

”I hope, Cap'n Kendrick,” she said, ”that you won't misunderstand my mother or take what she just said too seriously. She is not very well, and very nervous, and, as you see, her position here is a trying one sometimes.”

The captain could not keep back the speech which was at his tongue's end.

”_Your_ position is rather tryin', too, isn't it?” he observed. ”It sort of would seem that way--to me.”

She smiled sadly. ”Why, yes--it is,” she admitted. ”But I am younger and--and perhaps I can bear it better.”

It occurred to him that the greatest pity of all was the fact that she should be obliged to bear it. He did not say so, however, and she went on, changing the subject and speaking very earnestly.

”Cap'n Kendrick,” she said, ”I am very glad you heard this--this disagreement this morning. Judge Knowles told me you were going to call at the Harbor here and when he said it he--well, I thought he looked more than he said, if you know what I mean. I didn't ask any questions and he said nothing more, but I guess perhaps he wanted you to--to see--well, to see what he wasn't well enough to see--or something like that.”

She paused. The captain was embarra.s.sed. He certainly felt guilty and he also felt as if he looked so.

”Why--why, Miss Berry,” he stammered, ”I hope you--you mustn't think----”

She waved his protestations aside.

”It doesn't make a bit of difference,” she said. ”No matter why you came I am very glad you did. This ridiculous statuary business is just one--well, symptom, so to speak. If it wasn't that, it might be something else. It comes, you see, from my position here--which really isn't any position at all--and their position, Elvira Snowden's and the rest. They pay a certain sum to get here in the first place and a small sum each year. There is the trouble. They think they pay for board and lodging and are guests. Of course what they pay amounts to almost nothing, but they don't realize that, or don't want to, and they expect to have their own way. Mother is--well, she is nervous and high strung and she hates scenes. They take advantage of her, some of them--no doubt they don't consider it that, but it seems to me so--and so I have been obliged to take charge, in a way. They don't understand that and resent it. I don't know that I blame them much. Perhaps I should resent it if I were in their place. Only.... But never mind that now.

”This is only one of a good many differences of opinion we have had,”

she went on. ”In the old days--and not older than a year ago, for that matter--if the differences were too acute I used to go to Judge Knowles.

He always settled everything, finally and sensibly. But now, since he has been so sick, I--well, I simply can't go to him. He has been very kind to us, to mother and me, and I am very fond of him. He was a great friend of my father's and I think he likes me for father's sake. And now I will not trouble him in his sickness with my troubles--I will _not_.”

She raised her head as she said it and Captain Sears, regarding her, was again acutely conscious of the fact that it was a very fine head indeed.

”I understand,” he said.

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