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Her mother smiled inwardly. How amusingly Elly had acquired as only a child could acquire an accent, the exact astringent, controlled brevity of the mountain idiom. "I think Elly means that she would like it very much, Mr. Marsh," she said laughingly. "You'll soon learn to translate Vermontese into ordinary talk, if you stay on here."
They mixed and beat and stirred together, and Evangeline never knew how many more eggs than two went into the rich golden batter. Elly Precious, tied for safety-first into one of Miss Theodosia's chairs, looked on with an interest more or less intermittent; when Evangeline's offerings of "teeny speckles" of toothsome batter were delayed, the interest flagged.
Now I shall wrap you in a beautiful soft blanket and sing you a jiggy tune! Before I dress you in horrid, bothery sleeves, we'll rock, and rock, you and make-believe mum-mum!" The big chair creaked delightsomely to the ears of Elly Precious. To its accompaniment sang Miss Theodosia. "Darlin' Dear! Darlin' Dear, Mum-Mum's here oh, Elly Precious, I shall send you to college! Of course, to college.
"Why, Elly, I am very much complimented, I'm sure," Marsh hastened to tell her, "to be compared with such a remarkably nice thing as a brook in spring-time. I didn't suppose any young lady would ever have such a poetic idea about me." "Oh . . ." breathed Elly, relieved, "well . . ." "Do you suppose you little folks can get yourselves to bed without me?" asked Marise.
What's that?" and then, "Oh, you, Elly. What's the matter, dear? Notions again?" "Oh, Mother, it was an awful dream this time. Can't I get into bed with you?" "Why yes, come along, you dear little silly."
"Then I'll be a gran'mother, won't I! I've always wanted to be a gran'mother an' say what I did when I was a child an' how I always minded." A fresh giggle. "'I never had to be told to twice, my dears, I'll say to Elly Precious's children! They'll all be my dears. I'll help bring 'em up.
But the jarring dissonance of her marriage is inadmissible; it cannot be led up to by any chords no matter how ingenious, the passage, the attempts from one key to the other, is impossible; the true end is the ruin, by death or lingering life, of Elly and the remorse of the mother. One of the few writers of fiction who seems to me to possess an ear for the music of events is Miss Margaret Veley.
She put her lips in position for clear enunciation. "Mam m-ma." Customarily, Elly Precious sat and chuckled gleefully and nakedly. This was a favorite play. But, oh, to-day "Mum mum," said Elly Precious distinctly. Miss Theodosia caught him to her, slippery and sweet, with a cry of rapture. "You said it! You said it, Elly Precious darlin' dear!
"Elly Precious!" rose Evangeline's voice of indignation. "He's the unspeckledest baby you ever saw! I guess I guess you never saw Elly Precious!" Stefana appeared suddenly in the doorway, a blanched and frightened Stefana. But she was determinedly calm. "He's fell asleep, and Carruthers is watching him through the door. I told him not to go any nearer'n that.
She was astonished by what she said, astonished by the sudden overflowing of something she had not known was there, but which was so great that her heart could not contain it, "comme une onde qui bout dans une urne trop pleine." And she was as moved as she was astonished. Elly came into her arms with a comforted gasp.
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