Part 14 (1/2)
”The fact is that I was so astonished to hear about the elopement, that I almost forgot about my own letter for the time.”
”I suppose Harry will make a long stay now? that will be very nice.”
”No, he says he can only stay a week, or perhaps a fortnight. He has promised a friend to go to the Blue Mountains,” pouted Emily; ”I wish his friend was at Jericho.”
Isabel laughed. ”Suppose in that case Harry had gone with him.”
”Don't be provoking, Isabel. But, to turn the table, how is it you never get any of those 'nice letters' now-a-days.”
”Don't be provoking, Emily!” said Isabel, growing very hot.
”Ah, you see I always get the best of it,” returned Emily, laughing.
”I must go and dress, for I have to make some calls with Mamma and Grace.”
CHAPTER XVI.
”I do not know what on earth they will do,” cried Emily, tossing her hat and gloves on the sofa. ”Everard is in a terrible stew about the anthem; Mary Cleaver is laid up with a bad cold and sore throat, so that there is no chance of her being able to sing to-morrow, and there is not another in the choir that could make anything of the solo--at least not anything worth listening to. Is it not provoking?--just at the last minute. Grace, now won't you take Miss Cleaver's place just for once?
Do, please.”
”Thanks! But the idea is too absurd. Fancy my singing at a 'missionary meeting.'”
”Perhaps Isabel would,” interposed Rose.
”The idea is too absurd,” returned Emily, affectedly.
”Don't be impertinent, Emily,” said Grace, haughtily. ”It is useless to talk of Isabel, she added, addressing Rose, ”she refused before, and Everard would not be so absurd as to ask her again; he was quite pressing enough--far too much so for my taste.”
”I'm not so sure he won't; he will not easily give up his 'pet anthem,'”
replied Emily.
”Well, Isabel will not do it, you will see,” answered Grace.
”I'm not so sure of that, either; he usually gets his own way somehow or other.”
”Then how was it he did not succeed at first?” said Grace, tartly.
”Oh, because Isabel made him believe that it would not be fair to Miss Cleaver.”
”Oh, Emily, that was not why Isabel would not, and she never said it was,” exclaimed Alice; ”she told Everard she had several reasons for not singing, and, she added, it would not be fair to Miss Cleaver after being in the choir so long.”
”And pray what might these weighty reasons be?” asked Grace.
”I don't know,” returned Alice.
”Nor Isabel, either, I imagine,” Grace answered.
”What are you so perturbed about, Emily?” asked Isabel, who now joined them.”