Part 9 (2/2)

Mr. Pryor leaned a comfortable elbow on the green gate. ”That's a nice prospect! What am I going to have to eat?” he said, good-humoredly.

Yet behind the good humor there was annoyance. It came into William King's mind that this fellow would not spare his sister his irritation, and with a sudden impulse of concern for her, he said, ”Well now, look here, why don't you and Mrs. Richie come in this evening and take tea with us? I don't know what you'll get, but come and take pot-luck.”

”Thank you,” Lloyd Pryor said, ”but--”

”Oh, come now,” interrupted the doctor, gathering up his reins; ”you good people are not neighborly enough. We'll expect you both at six.”

”You are very kind, but I think--” But William would not listen. He was in great spirits. ”It will be pot-luck, and my wife will be delighted--” then, his voice dragged--”I hope you'll come,” he said uncertainly.

Mr. Pryor began to protest, but ended with a laugh. ”Well, we'll come!

Thank you very much.”

”That's good,” the doctor said a little less cordially, indeed, as he drove away he looked distinctly less cordial, and once he sighed....

Now, how should he put it? ”Oh, Martha, by the way, Mr. Pryor and his sister will drop in to tea to-night. I suggested it, and--” No, that would not do.... ”Martha, it occurred to me it would be neighborly--”

No. ”Confound it,” William King muttered to himself, ”what did I do it for, anyhow? 'Martha, my dear, I know you like to do a kindness, so I asked Mrs. Richie and her brother'”--that was better. ”But I hate a circ.u.mbendibus!” William said, irritably, to himself. Then he drew a long breath, and set his lips as a man may who is about to face the domestic cannon's mouth.

After he had driven on, s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up his courage, it appeared that Mr.

Pryor also had a cannon to face. Helena Richie came out into the garden, and found. him sitting on a bench built round a great silver poplar. Her face was worried. ”I ought not to have made poor Maggie get up yesterday,” she said, ”but I was so distressed not to have a good dinner for you.”

”Well, at least you need have no anxieties about supper; we've had an invitation,”

”An invitation! From Dr, King? Well, that's very nice in him. But, of course--”

”I told him we would come”

”You told him we would come!”

”I couldn't help it, Nelly. People who invite you face to face are perfect nuisances. But, really, it's no great matter--for once, And I knew it would be a convenience for you. Besides, I wanted a good supper.”

”Well, we must make some excuse.”

”There isn't any excuse to make,” he explained, good-naturedly: ”I tried to find one and couldn't. We've got to go.”

”_I_ sha'n't go.”

He looked at her from under his heavy eyelids; then blew two smoke wreaths slowly. ”You're a queer creature.”

She turned on him hotly. ”Queer? Because I won't go out to supper with you? I'd be queer if I did! I'm entirely satisfied with myself, Lloyd; I consider that I have a perfect right to be happy in my own way. You know I don't care a copper for what you call 'morality'! it's nothing but cowardly conventionality. But I won't go out to supper with you.”

”Please don't let us have a tirade,” he said ”I thought it would be more convenient for you. That's always the way with your s.e.x, Helena, you do a thing to help them out, and they burst into tears.”

”I haven't burst into tears,” she said sullenly, ”but I won't go.”

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