Part 13 (2/2)

”She could have come--perfectly well! There wasn't the _least_ reason why she shouldn't. Grannie was all right. Joan simply--simply wouldn't!”

Mittie stopped, knowing that she had conveyed a false impression, but pride withheld her from modifying the words. ”I told her she might--just as well.”

Mrs. Ferris began to move towards the house. ”It is a great pity,” she said. ”We all counted on having Joan. However, it cannot be helped now.

I hope you will enjoy yourself, my dear. Mary will show you over the garden and the house.”

To Mary she added: ”The old castle must wait for another time, I think--when Joan is here.”

Mittie cast a questioning look, and Mary said, in explanation: ”Only an old ruin a few miles off. We meant to have an excursion there this afternoon.”

Mittie loved excursions, and could not resist saying so. No notice was taken of this appeal; but somewhat later she overheard a murmured remark from Mrs. Ferris to Mary.

[Sidenote: ”Certainly not--now!”]

”No, certainly not--now. Fred will not care to go. He is very much disappointed, poor boy! If only one could be sure that it means nothing!” But Mittie was not meant to hear this.

They were very kind to her, and she really had nothing to complain of on the score of inattention. Mary, who happened to be the only daughter at home, took her in charge and put her through a steady course of gardens, gla.s.shouses, family pets, and old furniture--for none of which Mittie cared a rap. What she had wanted was a gay young party, plenty of fun and merriment, and for herself abundance of admiration.

But Fred made himself scarce, only appearing at luncheon and vanis.h.i.+ng afterwards; and Mrs. Ferris was occupied elsewhere most of the time; while between Mary and herself there was absolutely nothing in common.

Mary, though only the senior by two or three years, was not only clever, but very intelligent and well read, and she had plenty of conversation. But the subjects for which she cared, though they would have delighted Joan, were utter tedium to Mittie's empty little head.

Before an hour had pa.s.sed, Mary's boredom was only less p.r.o.nounced than Mittie's own.

It was so tiresome, so stupid of Joan not to come! Mittie complained bitterly to herself of this. If Joan had come too, all would have gone well. She could not help seeing that she had not been meant to come without Joan, still less instead of Joan.

With all her a.s.surance, this realisation that she was not wanted and that everybody was regretting Joan's absence made her horribly uncomfortable.

When left alone for a few minutes, early in the afternoon, she tugged angrily at her gloves, and muttered: ”I wish I wasn't here. I wish I had left it to Joan. I think they are all most awfully frumpish and stupid, and I can't imagine what makes Joan so fond of them!”

But she did not yet blame herself.

Five o'clock was the time fixed for return. Had Joan come it would have been much later.

At tea-time Fred turned up, and it appeared that he meant to get off the return-row up the river. He had engaged a boatman to do it in his stead.

Mary would still go, and though Mittie proudly said it did not matter, she wouldn't in the least mind being alone, Mary only smiled and held to her intention.

But long before this stage of proceedings everybody was tired--Mary and Mittie especially, the one of entertaining, the other of being entertained.

Mary had tried every imaginable thing she could think of to amuse the young guest, and every possible subject for talk. They seemed to have arrived at the end of everything, and it took all Mittie's energies to keep down, in a measure, her recurring yawns. Mary did her best, but she found Mittie far from interesting.

When at length they started for the riverside, Fred went with the two girls to see them off; and Mittie felt like a prisoner about to be released.

She was so eager to escape that she ran ahead of her companions towards the landing-place, and Mary dryly remarked in an undertone: ”Mittie has had about enough of us, I think. How different she is from Joan! One would hardly take them for sisters.”

Fred was too downhearted to answer. He had felt all day terribly hopeless.

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