Hudson River Bracketed · Book II · Chapter 7 (2/2)

“Oh,” she exclaimed, with a cry in which amusement mingled with consternation; for she saw nearly everything in life first on the amusing side, even to her own shortcomings.

George Frenside lifted his head from the newspaper and turned his ironic eyeglasses on her. “What’s up?”

“Only that I’ve forgotten an engagement.”

“What? Again?”

She nodded contritely. “I’m a perfect beast⁠—it was simply vile of me!” She was talking to herself, not to Frenside. As for her own family, they were all too used to her frequent outbursts of compunction over forgotten engagements to let her remorse disturb their meditations.

For a moment she stood brooding over her latest lapse; then she turned to reenter the house. As she disappeared Mrs. Spear, roused from some inner calculation which had wrinkled her brows and sharpened the lines about her mouth, sat up to call after her in a deep wailing voice: “But Lewis Tarrant⁠—have you all forgotten Lewis Tarrant? Who’s going to fetch him from the station?”

Whenever Mrs. Spear emerged thus suddenly from the sea of her perplexities, her still lovely face wore a half-drowned look which made Halo feel as if one ought to give her breathing exercises and other first-aid remedies.

“Don’t look so upset, darling. Why should you think I’d forgotten Lewis? I’m going down presently to meet him; his train’s not due for another hour.”

But Lorry Spear, with an effort, had pulled himself to his feet and cast away his cigarette end. “You needn’t, Halo. I’ll go,” he said in a voice of brotherly self-sacrifice.

“Thanks ever so, Lorry. But don’t bother⁠—”

“No bother, child. I’ll call at the post at the same time, and pick up Mother’s arrowroot at the grocer’s.”

This evoked a languid laugh from Mr. Spear and Frenside, for the grocery at Paul’s Landing was the repository for all Mrs. Spear’s daily purchases, and whenever she suggested that, yes, well, perhaps they had better call there on the way home, because she believed she had ordered a packet of arrowroot, the motor would invariably climb the hill from the town groaning with innumerable parcels.

Halo paused in the glass door leading into the hall. “I want the car for myself, Lorry,” she said decisively, and turned to go in. Behind her, as she crossed the hall, she heard her brother’s precipitate steps. “See here, Halo⁠—stop! I’m going down to meet Lewis; I want to.”

She faced him with her faint smile. “Oh, certainly. Come with me, then.”

“What’s the use of your going?” His handsome irresolute mouth grew sulky and resentful. “Fact is I rather want to see Lewis alone. We’ve got a little matter⁠—”

His sister’s eyebrows rose ironically. “So I supposed. How much this time, Lorry?”

“How much⁠—?”

“Yes. Only don’t exaggerate. I’ve told you I want the car for myself. How much were you going to ask Lewis to lend you?”

Her brother, flushing up, began to protest and ejaculate. “Damned impertinence⁠—” But Halo lifted her arm to examine her wristwatch. “Don’t splutter like Father when he says he’s going to denounce an outrage in the papers. And don’t be exorbitant either.” She fumbled in the shabby antelope bag which hung from her other wrist. “Here⁠—will this do?” She took out two ten-dollar notes and held them toward her brother.

“Hell, child⁠—” he stammered, manifestly tempted and yet furious.

“You know you wouldn’t get as much out of Lewis. Better take it.”

He stood with his hands in his pockets, his chin down, staring at the notes without moving.

“Come, Lorry; I tell you I’m in a hurry.” She made a slight motion as though to reopen the bag and put back the money.

“I’ll go down myself to fetch Lewis,” he mumbled, all the fluid lines of his face hardening into an angry obstinacy.

“You won’t!”

“Won’t I? You’ll see, then⁠—” He caught her by the wrist, and they stood glaring at each other and breathing hard, like two angry young animals. Then Halo, with a laugh, wrenched her hand free, and reopening the bag drew out another ten dollars. She tossed the three notes on the table, and walked across the hall and out of the front door. No footsteps followed her, and she deemed it superfluous to glance back and see if the money had been removed from the table.