第87章 PART THIRD(18)

"Well,anyway,"said Mela,"I don't care whether Christine's goon'or not;I am.And you got to go with me,Mrs.Mandel.""Well,there's a little difficulty,"said Mrs.Mandel,with her unfailing dignity and politeness."I haven't been asked,you know.""Then what are we goun'to do?"demanded Mela,almost crossly.She was physically too amiable,she felt too well corporeally,ever to be quite cross."She might 'a'knowed--well known--we couldn't 'a'come alone,in New York.I don't see why,we couldn't.I don't call it much of an invitation.""I suppose she thought you could come with your mother,"Mrs.Mandel suggested.

"She didn't say anything about mother:Did she,Christine?Or,yes,she did,too.And I told her she couldn't git mother out.Don't you remember?""I didn't pay much attention,"said Christine."I wasn't certain we wanted to go.""I reckon you wasn't goun'to let her see that we cared much,"said Mela,half reproachful,half proud of this attitude of Christine."Well,I don't see but what we got to stay at home."She laughed at this lame conclusion of the matter.

"Perhaps Mr.Conrad--you could very properly take him without an express invitation--"Mrs.Mandel began.

Conrad looked up in alarm and protest."I--I don't think I could go that evening--""What's the reason?"his father broke in,harshly."You're not such a sheep that you're afraid to go into company with your sisters?Or are you too good to go with them?""If it's to be anything like that night when them hussies come out and danced that way,"said Mrs.Dryfoos,"I don't blame Coonrod for not wantun'to go.I never saw the beat of it."Mela sent a yelling laugh across the table to her mother."Well,I wish Miss Vance could 'a'heard that!Why,mother,did you think it like the ballet?""Well,I didn't know,Mely,child,"said the old woman."I didn't know what it was like.I hain't never been to one,and you can't be too keerful where you go,in a place like New York.""What's the reason you can't go?"Dryfoos ignored the passage between his wife and daughter in making this demand of his son,with a sour face.

"I have an engagement that night--it's one of our meetings.""I reckon you can let your meeting go for one night,"said Dryfoos.

"It can't be so important as all that,that you must disappoint your sisters.""I don't like to disappoint those poor creatures.They depend so much upon the meetings--""I reckon they can stand it for one night,"said the old man.He added,"The poor ye have with you always.""That's so,Coonrod,"said his mother."It's the Saviour's own words.""Yes,mother.But they're not meant just as father used them.""How do you know how they were meant?Or how I used them?"cried the father."Now you just make your plans to go with the girls,Tuesday night.They can't go alone,and Mrs.Mandel can't go with them.""Pshaw!"said Mela."We don't want to take Conrad away from his meetun',do we,Chris?""I don't know,"said Christine,in her high,fine voice."They could get along without him for one night,as father says.""Well,I'm not a-goun'to take him,"said Mela."Now,Mrs.Mandel,just think out some other way.Say!What's the reason we couldn't get somebody else to take us just as well?Ain't that rulable?""It would be allowable--"

"Allowable,I mean,"Mela corrected herself.

"But it might look a little significant,unless it was some old family friend.""Well,let's get Mr.Fulkerson to take us.He's the oldest family friend we got.""I won't go with Mr.Fulkerson,"said Christine,serenely.

"Why,I'm sure,Christine,"her mother pleaded,"Mr.Fulkerson is a very good young man,and very nice appearun'."Mela shouted,"He's ten times as pleasant as that old Mr.Beaton of Christine's!"Christine made no effort to break the constraint that fell upon the table at this sally,but her father said:"Christine is right,Mela.It wouldn't do for you to go with any other young man.Conrad will go with you.""I'm not certain I want to go,yet,"said Christine.

"Well,settle that among yourselves.But if you want to go,your brother will go with you.""Of course,Coonrod 'll go,if his sisters wants him to,"the old woman pleaded."I reckon it ain't agoun'to be anything very bad;and if it is,Coonrod,why you can just git right up and come out.""It will be all right,mother.And I will go,of course.""There,now,I knowed you would,Coonrod.Now,fawther!"This appeal was to make the old man say something in recognition of Conrad's sacrifice.

"You'll always find,"he said,"that it's those of your own household that have the first claim on you.""That's so,Coonrod,"urged his mother."It's Bible truth.Your fawther ain't a perfesser,but he always did read his Bible.Search the Scriptures.That's what it means.""Laws!"cried Mely,"a body can see,easy enough from mother,where Conrad's wantun'to be a preacher comes from.I should 'a'thought she'd 'a'wanted to been one herself.""Let your women keep silence in the churches,"said the old woman,solemnly.

"There you go again,mother!I guess if you was to say that to some of the lady ministers nowadays,you'd git yourself into trouble."Mela looked round for approval,and gurgled out a hoarse laugh.

IX.

The Dryfooses went late to Mrs.Horn's musicale,in spite of Mrs.

Mandel's advice.Christine made the delay,both because she wished to show Miss Vance that she was (not)anxious,and because she had some vague notion of the distinction of arriving late at any sort of entertainment.Mrs.Mandel insisted upon the difference between this musicale and an ordinary reception;but Christine rather fancied disturbing a company that had got seated,and perhaps making people rise and stand,while she found her way to her place,as she had seen them.

do for a tardy comer at the theatre.