"There," she said, "ye kin mind your dinner now, and I reckon we'll give
the others a chance to chip into the conversation," and at once applied
herself to the plate before her.
The conversation presently became general, with the exception that
Minty, more or less engrossed by professional anxiety in the quality
of the dinner and occasional hurried visits to the kitchen, briefly
answered the few polite remarks which Mainwaring felt called upon to
address to her. Nevertheless, he was conscious, malgre her rallying
allusions to Miss Macy, that he felt none of the vague yet half pleasant
anxiety with which Louise was beginning to inspire him. He felt at
ease in Minty's presence, and believed, rightly or wrongly, that she
understood him as well as he understood her. And there were certainly
points in common between his two hostesses and their humbler though
proud dependent. The social evolution of Mrs. Bradley and Louise
Macy from some previous Minty was neither remote nor complete; the
self-sufficient independence, ease, and quiet self-assertion were alike
in each. The superior position was still too recent and accidental for
either to resent or criticise qualities that were common to both.
Pages:
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49