Part 49 (1/2)

”Oh, both well. I left them only a few minutes ago at the dinner table. I had to hurry off to go to the office.”

”So I perceive,” observed Esther, archly, ”and of course, coming here, which is four squares out of your way, will get you there much sooner.”

Emily blushed, and said, smilingly, Esther was ”a very impertinent person;”

and in this opinion Charlie fully concurred. They then walked to the window, where they stood, saying, no doubt, to each other those little tender things which are so profoundly interesting to lovers, and so exceedingly stupid to every one else. Baby, in high glee, was seated on Charlie's shoulder, where she could clutch both hands in his hair and pull until the tears almost started from his eyes.

”Emily and you have been talking a long while, and I presume you have fully decided on what day you are both to be rescued from your misery, and when I am to have the exquisite satisfaction of having my house completely turned upside down for your mutual benefit,” said Esther. ”I trust it will be as soon as possible, as we cannot rationally expect that either of you will be bearable until it is all over, and you find yourselves ordinary mortals again. Come now, out with it. When is it to be?”

”I say next week,” cried Charlie.

”Next week, indeed,” hastily rejoined Emily. ”I could not think of such a thing--so abrupt.”

”So abrupt,” repeated Charlie, with a laugh. ”Why, haven't I been courting you ever since I wore roundabouts, and hasn't everybody been expecting us to be married every week within the last two years. Fie, Em, it's anything but abrupt.”

Emily blushed still deeper, and looked out of the window, down the street and up the street, but did not find anything in the prospect at either side that at all a.s.sisted her to come to a decision, so she only became more confused and stared the harder; at last she ventured to suggest that day two months.

”This day two months--outrageous!” said Charlie. ”Come here, dear old Ess, and help me to convince this deluded girl of the preposterous manner in which she is conducting herself.”

”I must join her side if you _will_ bring me into the discussion. I think she is right, Charlie--there is so much to be done: the house to procure and furnish, and numberless other things that you hasty and absurd men know nothing about.”

By dint of strong persuasion from Charlie, Emily finally consented to abate two weeks of the time, and they decided that a family council should be held that evening at Mrs. Ellis's, when the whole arrangements should be definitely settled.

A note was accordingly despatched by Esther to her mother--that she, accompanied by Emily and the children, would come to them early in the afternoon, and that the gentlemen would join them in the evening at tea-time. Caddy was, of course, completely upset by the intelligence; for, notwithstanding that she and the maid-of-all-work lived in an almost perpetual state of house-cleaning, nothing appeared to her to be in order, and worse than all, there was nothing to eat.

”Nothing to eat!” exclaimed Mrs. Ellis. ”Why, my dear child, there are all manner of preserves, plenty of fresh peaches to cut and sugar down, and a large pound-cake in the house, and any quant.i.ty of bread can be purchased at the baker's.”

”Bread--plain bread!” rejoined Caddy, indignantly, quite astonished at her mother's modest idea of a tea--and a company-tea at that. ”Do you think, mother, I'd set Mr. Walters down to plain bread, when we always have hot rolls and short-cake at their house? It is not to be thought of for a moment: they must have some kind of hot cake, be the consequences what they may.”

Caddy bustled herself about, and hurried up the maid-of-all-work in an astonis.h.i.+ng manner, and before the company arrived had everything prepared, and looked as trim and neat herself as if she had never touched a rolling-pin, and did not know what an oven was used for.

Behold them all a.s.sembled. Mrs. Ellis at the head of the table with a grandchild on each side of her, and her cap-strings pinned upon the side next to baby. Esther sits opposite her husband, who is grown a little grey, but otherwise is not in the least altered; next to her is her father, almost buried in a large easy-chair, where he sits shaking his head from time to time, and smiling vacantly at the children; then come Emily and Charlie at the foot, and at his other hand Caddy and Kinch--Kinch the invincible--Kinch the dirty--Kinch the mischievous, now metamorphosed into a full-blown dandy, with faultless linen, elegant vest, and fas.h.i.+onably-cut coat. Oh, Kinch, what a change--from the most shabby and careless of all boys to a consummate exquisite, with heavy gold watch and eye-gla.s.s, and who has been known to dress regularly twice a day!

There was a mighty pouring out of tea at Mrs. Ellis's end of the table, and baby of course had to be served first with some milk and bread. Between her and the cat intimate relations seemed to exist, for by their united efforts the first cap was soon disposed of, and baby was clamouring for the second before the elder portions of the family had been once served round with tea.

Charlie and Emily ate little and whispered a great deal; but Kinch, the voracity of whose appet.i.te had not at all diminished in the length of years, makes up for their abstinence by devouring the delicious round short-cakes with astonis.h.i.+ng rapidity. He did not pretend to make more than two bites to a cake, and they slipped away down his throat as if it was a railroad tunnel and they were a train of cars behind time.

Caddy felt constrained to get up every few moments to look after something, and to a.s.sure herself by personal inspection that the reserved supplies in the kitchen were not likely to be exhausted. Esther occupied herself in attending upon her helpless father, and fed him as tenderly and carefully as if he was one of her babies.

”I left you ladies in council. What was decided?” said Charlie, ”don't be at all bashful as regards speaking before Kinch, for he is in the secret and has been these two months. Kinch is to be groomsman, and has had three tailors at work on his suit for a fortnight past. He told me this morning that if you did not hurry matters up, his wedding coat would be a week out of fas.h.i.+on before he should get a chance to wear it.”

”How delightful--Kinch to be groomsman,” said Esther, ”that is very kind in you, Kinch, to a.s.sist us to get Charlie off our hands.”

”And who is to be bridesmaid?” asked Walters.

”Oh, Caddy of course--I couldn't have any one but Caddy,” blus.h.i.+ngly answered Emily.

”That is capital,” cried Charlie, giving Kinch a facetious poke, ”just the thing, isn't it, Kinch--it will get her accustomed to these matters. You remember what you told me this morning, eh, old boy?” he concluded, archly.

Kinch tried to blush, but being very dark-complexioned, his efforts in that direction were not at all apparent, so he evidenced his confusion by cramming a whole short-cake into his mouth, and almost caused a stoppage in the tunnel; Caddy became excessively red in the face, and was sure they wanted more cakes.