Part 20 (1/2)

Another grievance was Martine's way of addressing Amy. Priscilla herself had begun by trying to say ”Miss Redmond;” occasionally she slipped into ”Amy,” but more usually ”Miss Amy” was her form of address. Martine had laughed loudly at this, and one day she said, ”It is what I call too servile. Amy is not greatly our superior, but still I'd rather call her Miss Redmond. I notice that Fritz Tomkins in some of his letters says 'Miss Amy Redmond.' I wonder if that would do for us?”

”Oh, Amy--that is, Miss Redmond--explained that it was just his way of making fun of her when he says 'Miss Amy Redmond.'”

”Probably, but when I can't think of anything else I will say that, though generally Amy is good enough for me, and here she is, looking as sweet as a rose.” Whereupon, without the slightest regard for the dignity with which Priscilla would have liked to hedge Amy, Martine had thrown herself upon the older girl's neck, to the destruction of something less ideal than her dignity; to wit, the freshness of her muslin stock.

Thinking of this scene, Priscilla sighed. ”Eunice would never do or say anything silly.” This goes to show that she did indeed regard Eunice as a kindred spirit.

CHAPTER XI

A TEA PARTY

”Prissie, Prissie,” said Martine, in a teasing tone, ”you are altogether too enthusiastic; I don't believe in these perfect people, and your little Tory must be rather a prig, from what you say.”

When Martine called her ”Prissie,” Priscilla knew that she meant mischief, and though in her inmost heart she admitted that Martine's teasing carried no real sting, she never stood this teasing with very good grace.

”She isn't a Tory,” she replied rather sharply; ”there are no Tories in these days, and Eunice Airton is not a prig.”

But Martine only laughed; perhaps she retained too firmly in her mind the remembrance of Priscilla's indifference to Yvonne and was now trying to pay her back. Priscilla had just given an enthusiastic account of her new acquaintance, and Mrs. Redmond and Amy had listened with great attention. Mrs. Redmond, indeed, was pleased that Priscilla had found something really to interest her. Although away from home not quite two weeks, Priscilla had begun to show the good effects of the trip in round and rosier cheeks, and in a slightly more animated manner. Yet it had seemed to Mrs. Redmond that she was not quite as pleased with things in general as the other two girls. She was sorry too to note the growing antagonism between Martine and Priscilla, though its cause was hard to discover. At first Martine's teasing had proceeded from the merest love of fun, and she thought that Priscilla took it all too seriously. Amy had already cautioned her that she could soon disarm Martine, by receiving everything she said as if said in pure fun. But Priscilla was sensitive, and she was just conscious enough of certain little foibles of her own to realize that sometimes Martine was laughing at her.

”Even if Eunice were a Tory, I shouldn't care,” she continued. ”I never heard any one talk as well as she does.”

”Ah, that's just it, my dear Miss Prissie Prunes,” retorted Martine; ”I'll warrant that she's just as prim and precise as--”

Martine did not finish the sentence, but Priscilla realized well that she meant to say ”as prim and precise as you are.”

The day after this conversation Mrs. Airton called on Mrs. Redmond and the girls. Martine was not at home, but the others were pleased with the delicate little woman, in rather faded black, who was particularly cordial and anxious to have them see Annapolis at its best.

As she talked, it was easy to understand how Eunice came by her precise manner and language, for there was a certain bookishness in her choice of words, and correctness of expression, that, although not really subject to criticism, might become tiresome. Mrs. Airton had heard more or less about Mrs. Redmond and her party from Dr. Gray, to whose family Mrs. Redmond had brought an introduction.

”Now I hope,” she said, toward the end of her visit, ”that you will give us the pleasure of spending to-morrow afternoon with us and staying to tea. I suppose 'tea' has gone out of fas.h.i.+on in the States, but it's just the height of the strawberry season now, and perhaps you'll accept high tea in place of a late dinner.”

”We shall be delighted to accept your invitation,” Mrs. Redmond replied, ”and as for tea, why, we never have late dinner at home in summer. We shall enjoy your hospitality.”

Now it happened, unfortunately, that on the morning of Wednesday, the day for which Mrs. Airton had invited them, Martine and Priscilla had their first falling out. Like most fallings out, it began in a very trivial way. Among Martine's belongings was an elaborate toilet set of silver-mounted brushes and boxes; she had had the good sense not to carry them in her travelling bag, but at Annapolis, where they were to stay longer than at some places, she had unpacked them all from her trunk, and they were spread out in elaborate array on her bureau. Amy had planned an excursion for the morning to Granville across the Granville Ferry to a certain picturesque spot on the other side. When she and Priscilla were ready to start, they knocked at Martine's door, thinking that she too would be ready. To their surprise, they found her in a loose dressing-sack, busily engaged in polis.h.i.+ng her silver.

”There, I forgot all about going with you,” cried Martine; ”the damp air has blackened my brushes so that I just thought the best thing was to sit down and polish them.”

”Oh, dear,” rejoined Priscilla, ”we are late as it is; for if we miss this ferry-boat, we'll have to wait so long for another that we won't have any time on the other side.”

”I can't help it,” retorted Martine; ”you can go without me if you like, though I'll drop what I'm doing and hurry to get dressed; but if you do not want to wait, it's all the same to me.”

”Of course we'll wait,” said Amy, gently. ”I particularly wish you to be with us, Martine, and though it will shorten our time a little, we must make the best of it now.”

Priscilla looked at her watch. ”We ought to take this next ferry-boat, and if we wait for Martine we shall lose it. Cleaning silver seems such a waste of time when we're travelling.”

Priscilla's manner rather than her actual words irritated Martine.

”I am the best judge of what wastes my own time,” she said with unwonted sharpness, ”and as a matter of fact, I'd rather stay here than go with you.”