Part 22 (1/2)
”But Patience would never dare--”
”Wouldn't she!” Pauline exclaimed. ”Jim brought Bedelia 'round about eleven and when I came out a few moments later, she was gone and so was Patience. Jim's out looking for them. We traced them as far as the Lake road.”
”I'll go hunt, too,” Tom offered. ”Don't you worry, Paul; she'll turn up all right--couldn't down the Imp, if you tried.”
”But she's never driven Bedelia alone; and Bedelia's not f.a.n.n.y.”
However, half an hour later, Patience drove calmly into the yard, Towser on the seat beside her, and if there was something very like anxiety in her glance, there was distinct triumph in the way she carried her small, bare head.
”We've had a beautiful drive!” she announced, smiling pleasantly from her high seat, at the worried, indignant group on the porch. ”I tell you, there isn't any need to 'hi-yi' this horse!”
”My sakes!” Miranda declared. ”Did you ever hear the beat of that!”
”Get down, Patience!” Mrs. Shaw said, and Patience climbed obediently down. She bore the prompt banishment to her own room which followed, with seeming indifference. Certainly, it was not unexpected; but when Hilary brought her dinner up to her presently, she found her sitting on the floor, her head on the bed. It was only a few days now to s.h.i.+rley's turn and it was going to be such a nice turn. Patience felt that for once Patience Shaw had certainly acted most unwisely.
”Patty, how could you!” Hilary put the tray on the table and sitting down on the bed, took the tumbled head on her knee. ”We've been so worried! You see, Bedelia isn't like f.a.n.n.y!”
”That's why I wanted to get a chance to drive her by myself for once!
She went beautifully! out on the Lake road I just let her loose!” For the moment, pride in her recent performance routed all contrition from Patience's voice--”I tell you, folks I pa.s.sed just stared!”
”Patience, how--”
”I wasn't scared the least bit; and, of course, Bedelia knew it. Uncle Jerry says they always know when you're scared, and if Mr. Allen is the most up in history of any man in Vermont, Uncle Jerry is the most in horses.”
Hilary felt that the conversation was hardly proceeding upon the lines her mother would have approved of, especially under present circ.u.mstances. ”That has nothing to do with it, you know, Patience,”
she said, striving to be properly severe.
”I think it has--everything. I think it's nice not being scared of things. You're sort of timid 'bout things, aren't you, Hilary?”
Hilary made a movement to rise.
”Oh, please,” Patience begged. ”It's going to be such a dreadful long afternoon--all alone.”
”But I can't stay, mother would not want--”
”Just for a minute. I--I want to tell you something. I--coming back, I met Jane, and I gave her a lift home--and she did love it so--she says she's never ridden before behind a horse that really went as if it enjoyed it as much as she did. That was some good out of being bad, wasn't it? And--I told you--ever'n' ever so long ago, that I was mighty sure Jane'd just be tickled to death to belong to our club. I think you might ask her--I don't see why she shouldn't like Seeing Winton, same's we do--she doesn't ever have fun--and she'll be dead pretty soon. She's getting along, Jane is--it'd make me mad's anything to have to die 'fore I'd had any fun to speak of. Jane's really very good company--when you draw her out--she just needs drawing out--Jane does. Seems to me, she remembers every funeral and wedding and everything--that's ever taken place in Winton.” Patience stopped, sheer out of breath, but there was an oddly serious look on her little eager face.
Hilary stroked back the tangled red curls. ”Maybe you're right, Patty; maybe we have been selfish with our good times. I'll have to go now, dear. You--I may tell mother--that you are sorry--truly, Patty?”
Patience nodded. ”But I reckon, it's a good deal on account of s.h.i.+rley's turn,” she explained.
Hilary bit her lip.
”You don't suppose you could fix that up with mother? You're pretty good at fixing things up with mother, Hilary.”
”Since how long?” Hilary laughed, but when she had closed the door, she opened it again to stick her head in. ”I'll try, Patty, at any rate,”
she promised.
She went down-stairs rather thoughtful. Mrs. Shaw was busy in the study and Pauline had gone out on an errand. Hilary went up-stairs again, going to sit by one of the side windows in the ”new room.”