The Financier [165]
best what he could do. His increasing troubles depressed her.
Mrs. Calligan was alone when she arrived and was delighted to see her. After exchanging the gossip of the day, and not knowing quite how to proceed in connection with the errand which had brought her, she went to the piano and played a melancholy air.
"Sure, it's lovely the way you play, Aileen," observed Mrs. Calligan who was unduly sentimental herself. "I love to hear you. I wish you'd come oftener to see us. You're so rarely here nowadays."
"Oh, I've been so busy, Mrs. Calligan," replied Aileen. "I've had so much to do this fall, I just couldn't. They wanted me to go to Europe; but I didn't care to. Oh, dear!" she sighed, and in her playing swept off with a movement of sad, romantic significance. The door opened and Mamie came in. Her commonplace face brightened at the sight of Aileen.
"Well, Aileen Butler!" she exclaimed. "Where did you come from? Where have you been keeping yourself so long?"
Aileen rose to exchange kisses. "Oh, I've been very busy, Mamie. I've just been telling your mother. How are you, anyway? How are you getting along in your work?"
Mamie recounted at once some school difficulties which were puzzling her--the growing size of classes and the amount of work expected. While Mrs. Calligan was setting the table Mamie went to her room and Aileen followed her.
As she stood before her mirror arranging her hair Aileen looked at her meditatively.
"What's the matter with you, Aileen, to-day?" Mamie asked. "You look so--" She stopped to give her a second glance.
"How do I look?" asked Aileen.
"Well, as if you were uncertain or troubled about something. I never saw you look that way before. What's the matter?"
"Oh, nothing," replied Aileen. "I was just thinking." She went to one of the windows which looked into the little yard, meditating on whether she could endure living here for any length of time. The house was so small, the furnishings so very simple.
"There is something the matter with you to-day, Aileen," observed Mamie, coming over to her and looking in her face. "You're not like yourself at all."
"I've got something on my mind," replied Aileen--"something that's worrying me. I don't know just what to do--that's what's the matter."
"Well, whatever can it be?" commented Mamie. "I never saw you act this way before. Can't you tell me? What is it?"
"No, I don't think I can--not now, anyhow." Aileen paused. "Do you suppose your mother would object," she asked, suddenly, "if I came here and stayed a little while? I want to get away from home for a time for a certain reason."
"Why, Aileen Butler, how you talk!" exclaimed her friend. "Object! You know she'd be delighted, and so would I. Oh, dear--can you come? But what makes you want to leave home?"
"That's just what I can't tell you--not now, anyhow. Not you, so much, but your mother. You know, I'm afraid of what she'd think," replied Aileen. "But, you mustn't ask me yet, anyhow. I want to think. Oh, dear! But I want to come, if you'll let me. Will you speak to your mother, or shall I?"
"Why, I will," said Mamie, struck with wonder at this remarkable development; "but it's silly to do it. I know what she'll say before I tell her, and so do you. You can just bring your things and come. That's all. She'd never say anything or ask anything, either, and you know that--if you didn't want her to." Mamie was all agog and aglow at the idea. She wanted the companionship of Aileen so much.
Aileen looked at her solemnly, and understood well enough why she was so enthusiastic--both she and her mother. Both wanted her presence to brighten their world. "But neither of you must tell anybody that I'm here, do you hear? I don't want any one to know-- particularly no one of my family. I've a reason, and a good one, but I can't tell you what it is--not now, anyhow. You'll promise not to tell any one."
"Oh, of course," replied Mamie eagerly. "But you're not going to run away for good, are you, Aileen?" she concluded
Mrs. Calligan was alone when she arrived and was delighted to see her. After exchanging the gossip of the day, and not knowing quite how to proceed in connection with the errand which had brought her, she went to the piano and played a melancholy air.
"Sure, it's lovely the way you play, Aileen," observed Mrs. Calligan who was unduly sentimental herself. "I love to hear you. I wish you'd come oftener to see us. You're so rarely here nowadays."
"Oh, I've been so busy, Mrs. Calligan," replied Aileen. "I've had so much to do this fall, I just couldn't. They wanted me to go to Europe; but I didn't care to. Oh, dear!" she sighed, and in her playing swept off with a movement of sad, romantic significance. The door opened and Mamie came in. Her commonplace face brightened at the sight of Aileen.
"Well, Aileen Butler!" she exclaimed. "Where did you come from? Where have you been keeping yourself so long?"
Aileen rose to exchange kisses. "Oh, I've been very busy, Mamie. I've just been telling your mother. How are you, anyway? How are you getting along in your work?"
Mamie recounted at once some school difficulties which were puzzling her--the growing size of classes and the amount of work expected. While Mrs. Calligan was setting the table Mamie went to her room and Aileen followed her.
As she stood before her mirror arranging her hair Aileen looked at her meditatively.
"What's the matter with you, Aileen, to-day?" Mamie asked. "You look so--" She stopped to give her a second glance.
"How do I look?" asked Aileen.
"Well, as if you were uncertain or troubled about something. I never saw you look that way before. What's the matter?"
"Oh, nothing," replied Aileen. "I was just thinking." She went to one of the windows which looked into the little yard, meditating on whether she could endure living here for any length of time. The house was so small, the furnishings so very simple.
"There is something the matter with you to-day, Aileen," observed Mamie, coming over to her and looking in her face. "You're not like yourself at all."
"I've got something on my mind," replied Aileen--"something that's worrying me. I don't know just what to do--that's what's the matter."
"Well, whatever can it be?" commented Mamie. "I never saw you act this way before. Can't you tell me? What is it?"
"No, I don't think I can--not now, anyhow." Aileen paused. "Do you suppose your mother would object," she asked, suddenly, "if I came here and stayed a little while? I want to get away from home for a time for a certain reason."
"Why, Aileen Butler, how you talk!" exclaimed her friend. "Object! You know she'd be delighted, and so would I. Oh, dear--can you come? But what makes you want to leave home?"
"That's just what I can't tell you--not now, anyhow. Not you, so much, but your mother. You know, I'm afraid of what she'd think," replied Aileen. "But, you mustn't ask me yet, anyhow. I want to think. Oh, dear! But I want to come, if you'll let me. Will you speak to your mother, or shall I?"
"Why, I will," said Mamie, struck with wonder at this remarkable development; "but it's silly to do it. I know what she'll say before I tell her, and so do you. You can just bring your things and come. That's all. She'd never say anything or ask anything, either, and you know that--if you didn't want her to." Mamie was all agog and aglow at the idea. She wanted the companionship of Aileen so much.
Aileen looked at her solemnly, and understood well enough why she was so enthusiastic--both she and her mother. Both wanted her presence to brighten their world. "But neither of you must tell anybody that I'm here, do you hear? I don't want any one to know-- particularly no one of my family. I've a reason, and a good one, but I can't tell you what it is--not now, anyhow. You'll promise not to tell any one."
"Oh, of course," replied Mamie eagerly. "But you're not going to run away for good, are you, Aileen?" she concluded