The Doctor [49]
white teeth under his waxed mustache. "And how does the fair Miss Lane find herself this fine morning?"
It took the whole force of Iola's self-mastery to keep the disgust which was swelling her heart from showing in her face. Here was one of Dr. Bulling's friends, one of his toadies--and he had a number of them--who represented to her all that was most loathsome in her life. The effort to repress her disgust, however, only made her smile the sweeter. Foxmore was greatly encouraged. It was one of his fixed ideas that his manner was irresistible with "the sex." Bulling might hold over him, by reason of his wealth and social position, but give him a fair field without handicap and see who would win out!
"I was about to do myself the honour and the pleasure of calling upon you this morning."
"Oh, indeed. Well--ah--come in." Iola was fighting fiercely her loathing of him. It was against this man and his friends that Barney had defended her name. She led the way to her studio, ignoring the silly chatter of the man following her upstairs, and by the time he had fairly got himself seated she was coolly master of herself.
"Just ran in to give you the great news."
"To wit?"
"Why, don't you know? The Philharmonic thing is settled. You've got it."
Iola looked blank.
"Why, haven't you heard that the Duff Charringtons have surrendered?" Iola recognized Dr. Bulling's words.
"Surrendered? Just what, exactly?"
"Oh, d-dash it all! You know the big fight that has been going on, the Duff Charringtons backing that little Redd girl."
"Oh! So the Duff Charringtons have been backing the little Redd girl? Miss Evelyn Redd, I suppose? It sounds a little like a horse race or a pugilistic encounter."
"A horse race!" he exclaimed. "Ha, ha, ha! A horse race isn't in it with this! But Bulling pulled the wires and you've got it."
"But this is extremely interesting. I was not aware that the soloists were chosen for any other reason than that of merit."
In spite of herself Iola had adopted a cool and somewhat lofty manner.
"Oh, well, certainly on merit, of course. But you know how these things go." Dr. Foxmore was beginning to feel uncomfortable. The lofty air of this struggling, as yet unrecognized, country girl was both baffling and exasperating. "Oh, come, Miss Lane," he continued, making a desperate effort to recover his patronizing tone, "you know just what we all think of your ability."
"What do you think of it?" Iola's tone was calmly curious.
"Why, I think--well--I know you can do the work infinitely better than Evelyn Redd."
"Have you heard Miss Redd in oratorio? I know you have never heard me."
"No, can't say I have; but I know your voice and your style and I'm confident it will suit the part."
"Thank you so much," said Iola sweetly; "I am so sorry that Dr. Bulling should have given so much time, and he is such a busy man."
"Oh, that's nothing," waved Dr. Foxmore, recovering his self- esteem, "we enjoyed it."
"How nice of you! And you were pulling wires, too, Dr. Foxmore?"
"Ah, well, we did a little work in a quiet way," replied the doctor, falling into his best professional tone.
"And this yachting party, I suppose Dr. Bulling and you worked that, too? Really, Dr. Foxmore, you have no idea what a relief it is to have one's affairs taken charge of in this way. It quite saves one the trouble of making up one's mind. Indeed, one hardly needs a mind at all." Iola's face and smile were those of innocent childhood. Dr. Foxmore shot a suspicious glance at her and hastened to change the subject.
"Well, you will go next Saturday, will you not?"
"I am really a little uncertain at present," replied Iola.
"Oh, you must, you know! Mrs. Duff Charrington will be awfully cut up, not to speak of Bulling. He had no end of trouble to bring it off."
"You mean, to persuade Mrs. Duff Charrington to invite me?"
"Oh, well," said the doctor, plunging wildly, "I wouldn't put it that way. But the whole question of the Philharmonic was involved, and this
It took the whole force of Iola's self-mastery to keep the disgust which was swelling her heart from showing in her face. Here was one of Dr. Bulling's friends, one of his toadies--and he had a number of them--who represented to her all that was most loathsome in her life. The effort to repress her disgust, however, only made her smile the sweeter. Foxmore was greatly encouraged. It was one of his fixed ideas that his manner was irresistible with "the sex." Bulling might hold over him, by reason of his wealth and social position, but give him a fair field without handicap and see who would win out!
"I was about to do myself the honour and the pleasure of calling upon you this morning."
"Oh, indeed. Well--ah--come in." Iola was fighting fiercely her loathing of him. It was against this man and his friends that Barney had defended her name. She led the way to her studio, ignoring the silly chatter of the man following her upstairs, and by the time he had fairly got himself seated she was coolly master of herself.
"Just ran in to give you the great news."
"To wit?"
"Why, don't you know? The Philharmonic thing is settled. You've got it."
Iola looked blank.
"Why, haven't you heard that the Duff Charringtons have surrendered?" Iola recognized Dr. Bulling's words.
"Surrendered? Just what, exactly?"
"Oh, d-dash it all! You know the big fight that has been going on, the Duff Charringtons backing that little Redd girl."
"Oh! So the Duff Charringtons have been backing the little Redd girl? Miss Evelyn Redd, I suppose? It sounds a little like a horse race or a pugilistic encounter."
"A horse race!" he exclaimed. "Ha, ha, ha! A horse race isn't in it with this! But Bulling pulled the wires and you've got it."
"But this is extremely interesting. I was not aware that the soloists were chosen for any other reason than that of merit."
In spite of herself Iola had adopted a cool and somewhat lofty manner.
"Oh, well, certainly on merit, of course. But you know how these things go." Dr. Foxmore was beginning to feel uncomfortable. The lofty air of this struggling, as yet unrecognized, country girl was both baffling and exasperating. "Oh, come, Miss Lane," he continued, making a desperate effort to recover his patronizing tone, "you know just what we all think of your ability."
"What do you think of it?" Iola's tone was calmly curious.
"Why, I think--well--I know you can do the work infinitely better than Evelyn Redd."
"Have you heard Miss Redd in oratorio? I know you have never heard me."
"No, can't say I have; but I know your voice and your style and I'm confident it will suit the part."
"Thank you so much," said Iola sweetly; "I am so sorry that Dr. Bulling should have given so much time, and he is such a busy man."
"Oh, that's nothing," waved Dr. Foxmore, recovering his self- esteem, "we enjoyed it."
"How nice of you! And you were pulling wires, too, Dr. Foxmore?"
"Ah, well, we did a little work in a quiet way," replied the doctor, falling into his best professional tone.
"And this yachting party, I suppose Dr. Bulling and you worked that, too? Really, Dr. Foxmore, you have no idea what a relief it is to have one's affairs taken charge of in this way. It quite saves one the trouble of making up one's mind. Indeed, one hardly needs a mind at all." Iola's face and smile were those of innocent childhood. Dr. Foxmore shot a suspicious glance at her and hastened to change the subject.
"Well, you will go next Saturday, will you not?"
"I am really a little uncertain at present," replied Iola.
"Oh, you must, you know! Mrs. Duff Charrington will be awfully cut up, not to speak of Bulling. He had no end of trouble to bring it off."
"You mean, to persuade Mrs. Duff Charrington to invite me?"
"Oh, well," said the doctor, plunging wildly, "I wouldn't put it that way. But the whole question of the Philharmonic was involved, and this