Part 8 (1/2)

He might have made the child happy in one word. It took him twenty minutes.

Concurring opinions were then solemnly delivered by every director in turn except Mr. Tappan, who spoke for half an hour, doggedly dissenting on every point.

But the days of the old regime were evidently numbered. He understood it. He looked across at the crackled portrait of his old friend Anthony Seagrave; the faded, painted features were obliterated in a bar of slanting sunlight.

So, concluding his dissenting opinion, and having done his duty, he sat down, drawing the skirts of his frock-coat close around his bony thighs.

He had done his best; his reward was this child's hatred--which she already forgot in the confused delight of her sudden liberation.

Dazed with happiness, to one after another Geraldine courtesied and extended the narrow childlike hand of amity--even to him. Then, as though treading on invisible pink clouds, she floated out and away up-stairs, scarcely conscious of pa.s.sing her brother on the stairway, who was now descending for his turn before the altar of authority.

When Scott returned he appeared to be unusually red in the face.

Geraldine seized him ecstatically:

”Oh, Scott! I _am_ to come out, after all--and I'm to have my quarterly, and gowns, and everything. I could have hugged Mr. Grandcourt--the dear!

I was so frightened--frightened into rudeness--and then that beast of a Tappan scared me terribly. But it is all right now--and _what_ did they promise you, poor dear?”

Scott's face still remained flushed as he stood, hands in his pockets, head slightly bent, tracing with the toe of his shoe the carpet pattern.

”You want to know what they promised me?” he asked, looking up at his sister with an unpleasant laugh. She poured a few drops of cologne onto a lump of sugar, placed it between her lips, and nodded:

”They _did_ promise you something--didn't they?”

”Oh, certainly. They promised to make it hot for me if I ever again borrowed money on notes.”

”Scott! did you do that?”

”Give my note? Certainly. I needed money--I've told old tabby Tappan so again and again. In a year I'll have all the money I need--so what's the harm if I borrow a little and promise to pay when I'm of age?”

Geraldine considered a moment: ”It's curious,” she reflected, ”but do you know, Scott, I never thought of doing that. It never occurred to me to do it! Why didn't you tell me?”

”Because,” said her brother with an embarra.s.sed laugh, ”it's not exactly a proper thing to do, I believe. Anyway, they raised a terrible row about it. Probably that's why they have at last given me a decent quarterly allowance; they think it's safer, I suppose--and they're right. The stingy old fossils.”

The boyish boast, the veiled hint of revolt and reprisal vaguely disturbed Geraldine's sense of justice.

”After all,” she said, ”they have meant to be kind. They didn't know how, that's all. And, Scott, do let us try to be better now. I'm ashamed of my rudeness to them. And I'm going to be very, very good to Kathleen and not do one single thing to make her unhappy or even to bother Mr.

Tappan.... And, oh, Scott! my silks and laces! my darling clothes! All is coming true! Do you hear? And, Scott! Nada and Duane are back and I'm dying to see them. Duane is twenty-three, think of it!”

She seized him and spun him around.

”If you don't hug me and tell me you're fond of me, I shall go mad. Tell me you're fond of me, Scott! You do love me, don't you?”