Volume I Part 29 (1/2)
”Oh! children are so much happier when they are dirty,” said Letty, graciously, pleased to feel herself on these easy terms with her two companions. ”What beautiful flowers he has! and what an astonis.h.i.+ng little botanist he seems to be!”
And she seated herself beside Hallin, using all her blandishments to make friends with him, which, however, did not prove to be an easy matter. For when she praised his flowers, Hallin only said, with his mouth full: ”Oh!
but mammy's bunch is _hever_ so much bigger;” and when she offered him cake, the child would st.u.r.dily put the cake away, and hold it and her at arm's length till his mute look across the table had won his mother's nod of permission.
Letty at last thought him an odd, ill-mannered child, and gave up courting him, greatly to Hallin's satisfaction. He edged closer and closer to his mother, established himself finally in her pocket, and browsed on all the good things with which Mrs. Allison provided him, undisturbed.
”How late they are!” said Marcella, looking at her watch. ”Tell me the names again, dear lady”--she bent forward, and laid her hand affectionately on Mrs. Allison's knee. ”Your parties are always a work of art.”
Mrs. Allison flushed a little, as though she liked the compliment, and ran laughingly through the names.
”Lord and Lady Maxwell.”
”Ah!” said Marcella, ”the least said about them the soonest mended. Go on.”
”Lord and Lady Cathedine.”
Marcella made a face.
”Poor little thing! I always think of the remark about the Queen in 'Alice in Wonderland.' 'A little kindness, and putting her hair in curl-papers, would do wonders for her.' She is so limp and thin and melancholy. As for him--isn't there a race or a prize-fight we can send him to?”
Mrs. Allison tapped her lightly on the lips.
”I won't go on unless my guests are taken prettily.”
Marcella kissed the delicate wrinkled hand.
”I'll be good. What do you keep such an air here for? It gets into one's head.”
Letty Tressady, indeed, was looking on with a feeling of astonishment.
These merry, childlike airs had absolutely no place in her conception of Lady Maxwell. Nor could she know that Mrs. Allison was one of the very few people in the world to whom Marcella was ever drawn to show them.
”Sir Philip Wentworth,” pursued Mrs. Allison, smiling. ”Say anything malicious about him, if you can!”
”Don't provoke me. What a mercy I brought a volume of 'Indian Studies' in my bag! I will go up early, before dinner, and finish them.”
”Then there is Madeleine Penley, and Elizabeth Kent.”
A quick involuntary expression crossed Marcella's face. Then she drew herself up with dignity, and crossed her hands primly on her lap.
”Let me understand. Are you going to protect me from Lady Kent this time?
Because, last time you threw me to the wolves in the most dastardly way.”
Mrs. Allison laughed out.
”On the contrary, we all enjoyed your skirmish with her in November so much, we shall do our best to provoke another in May.”
Marcella shook her head.
”I haven't the energy to quarrel with a fly. And as for Aldous--please warn his lady at dinner that he may go to sleep upon her shoulder!”