Mrs. Boardman poured her sister a second cup of coffee. Wilfred had just
departed for school, and the sisters were able to talk more freely.
“Sister,” said Mrs. Boardman, looking very uncomfortable, “do you . . .
do you entirely believe Joe’s story?”
Miss Gittings looked no less uncomfortable, but answered quickly: “I see
no reason. . . . Huh? . . . Obviously Joe was too ignorant to . . .
anyhow, you and I agreed long ago that it was better to be deceived than
to be sceptical!”
“Wilfred says. . . .”
Miss Gittings caught her up. “And since when have we been taking Wilfred
as an. . . . Huh? . . . Oh, Wilfred is so . . . I declare, Fanny! You
know it as well as I do!”
“But Joe’s story does vary, sister.”
“That signifies nothing. A spiritual experience is susceptible of
various. . . . Huh?”
“Well, very likely you’re right. . . . What are you going to do about
him?”
“Do about him?”
“Well, he keeps coming here. . . .”
“I don’t see why you should put the entire responsibility up to me!”
said Miss Gittings tartly.
“You brought him here the first time.”
“I didn’t!”
“Sister!”
“He brought me. . . . Huh? . . .”
“Oh, he makes me so uncomfortable!” cried Mrs. Boardman from her heart.
“And you, too, sister! It is useless for you to deny it!”
Miss Gittings did not deny it. She merely stirred her coffee. After
awhile she said: “I think my first plan. . . . Huh? . . . A strangely
pertinacious boy! . . . Let us take him. . . . That must be his Jewish
blood . . . to a meeting of the circle. If Professor Boiling or Mr.
Latham should happen to. . . . Huh? They being men . . . it would be
more suitable. . . .”
“Yes,” said Mrs. Boardman with a sigh. “Certainly he is too much for us!
. . . But sister,” she objected. “If we took him to one of the meetings
wouldn’t it look as if we were prepared to vouch for him?”
“Vouch for him?” echoed Miss Gittings, startled. “Huh? . . . Well, what
alternative is there?”
“I thought we might just mention Joe to Professor Bolling, without
taking any responsibility for him, and ask the Professor here some night
to question Joe.”
Miss Gittings considered the suggestion. “Yes,” she said, “letting the
professor understand of course that our minds were quite. . . . Huh? We
might ask Mr. Latham the same night; and Mrs. Van Buren; but not the
other members of the circle with whom we are not exactly on. . . . Yes!
And we might ask two or three people from outside the circle to whom we
wish to show some little. . . . Quite informally. . . . Huh? . . . But
Joe himself, sister, do you think. . . . Huh? . . .”
“Oh, I’m sure he will behave admirably,” said Mrs. Boardman, not without
a touch of bitterness. “He is so quick to adapt himself.”
“It must all be very informal. . . . You might make one of your Spanish
buns. . . . Huh?”
“Do you think we could pass wine? In father’s day. . . .”
“I think that would be an affectation now. Everybody knows that we do
not keep wine in the house. . . . It would give us an opportunity of
asking Cousin Emily Gore here. . . . Huh? . . . She affects to be
interested in. . . . And we cannot entertain such rich people in any
formal way.”
“Do you suppose Amasa Gore would come?” asked Mrs. Boardman eagerly.
“Naturally; if it was in the evening. Cousin Emily is not the sort of
woman who goes out in the evening without her husband.”
“Oh! in that case he could meet Wilfred, without it seeming to have been
contrived! Oh, sister! if Mr. Gore would only take an interest in
Wilfred, the boy’s future would be secure! . . . But Wilfred is _so_
difficult!”
“I will prepare him beforehand,” said Miss Gittings.
“No! No! sister. I confess I do not understand the boy, but I am sure
that would be a mistake! He becomes so cynical and obstinate when we try
to point out a proper course of action to him. Say nothing to him
beforehand. It is the only way!”
“Oh well, in any case Mr. Gore must do _something_. . . . Huh? . . . We
may properly let them see that we expect it. . . . His wife’s first
cousin only once removed! . . . A pitcher of lemonade will be much more
suitable. . . .”
“What about a bottle of whiskey for the gentlemen?”
“Cousin Emily would hardly approve. She has strong views. . . .”