Ivetried, she concluded candidly, and I cant
think of ANYTHING tosay.
Emily, recalled thus abruptly from the field
of Bannockburn, lookedbored. If you like Ill kiss you good-bye, she said
chokily. Im going to keep it, Aunt Nancy said, grinning and shaking hergold
tassels. Herfinger-tips were growing cold as they always did in excitement,
hereyes turning black. Emily lay there and dramatized the whole incident for
her Jimmy-book.
The kitten was a delicate bit of striped
greyness that remindedEmily of her dear lost Mikes.
I toldyou the story of Leonidas and his
Spartans the other day. She had been a flirt before her marriage.
His strange eyes were very kindlyas he met
hers. Do youbelieve in the doctrine of the transmigration of souls,
Star?
She and Leo were alwaystogether there when
Allan was away seeing his patients. Oh, Im ready to go now, said Emily,
standing up. Perhaps she was kidnapped, said Emily, trying desperately
toexplain it. I like cats but I never keep one, Dean said. Get off to bed and
get your beauty sleep. Yielding to a suddenimpulse she flung the big aster on
the ground and set her foot onit. She wasdesperately afraid that Aunt Nancy
would branch off to somethingelse. But not the end of the shame and
wretchedness she brought to herhome, said Caroline shrewishly. Ive had only
books for companions most of my life, he said. Get off to bed and get your
beauty sleep.
Emily and Cousin Jimmy had so much to talk of
that the drive homeseemed very short.
What worries me about writing novels, confided
Emily is the lovetalk in them. ON THE BAY SHOREI wonder, thought Emily, how
much longer I have to live. She was onlyeighteen when Allan married her. And
oh,PLEASE let somebody find out that Ilses mother didnt do THAT.
It would beHATEFUL to think any one I didnt
like had saved my life. Dogs want only love but cats
demandworship.
I seem tosee myself visiting her very often
henceforth. One, with a long wick, glowedand smouldered like a sulky little
demon. Yet she could not keep fromthinking about it, day and
night.
Ive heard she was a great beauty, said
Caroline. Aunt Nancy would not giveher back the picture Teddy had
painted.
She doesnt mean that as a compliment, whatever
you in yourinnocence believe it to be. But he looked very human andtrusty
watching her with great kindly eyes. Herfinger-tips were growing cold as they
always did in excitement, hereyes turning black.
Ive often wanted to smash it but never had
thecourage.
Such talk is not decent, said Aunt Elizabeth,
pale with horror.
DeanPriest whistled for Tweed and went to the
bay shore. Blair Water gossip had often asked or hinted this question;and now
it met her in Priest Pond.