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Some day, after she's forgiven us if ever she does forgive us You've said you're sure she'll forgive us, Matilda; do you honestly, truly, cross-your-heartly, believe she will?" "Y-e-s," said Mrs. De Peyster's numb lips. "I do hope so, for Jack's sake!" sighed the little person. "After she forgives us, I'm going to 'fess up everything.
De Peyster's suite, they said they would give her, Matilda, no trouble at all they would attend to their own housework, everything and so on, and so on, with Mrs. De Peyster hearing nothing, but reaching aurally out for Matilda's exposing tread. To forestall this exposure, she started weakly up the stairs, only to be halted by the slipping of Jack's arm around her shoulder.
De Peyster's noble stone steps, his face pleasant and frank-gazing, and with the easy self-possession of departing from a call to wish a friend bon-voyage. After a time Mrs. De Peyster rose totteringly from the sheeted library chair, mounted weakly to the more intimate asylum of her private sitting-room, and sat down and stared into her fire.
This impudent, pompous, philandering clergyman was about to propose to her! To her! She gave a swift horrified glance at Matilda, who gave back a look of sympathetic understanding. Then Mrs. De Peyster's horror at the indignity changed to horror of quite another sort; for the Reverend Mr. Pyecroft was leaning confidentially close to her, eyes into hers, and was saying in a low voice:
So you see, I am in the same situation as Mr. De Peyster: I prefer my whereabouts to remain unknown. Since we are in each other's hands, and it is in our power each to betray the other, shall we not all, as a quid pro quo, agree to preserve Mr. De Peyster's and my presence in this house a secret? For my part, I promise." "I'm willing," said Jack. "And I," said Mary.
Plainly William had gone to bed, and had to dress before he could answer the bell. At length, however, William appeared. He started at sight of the four figures; then his gaze fastened on Matilda and grew hard. Mrs. De Peyster tried to collapse within herself. "Friend," said the officer, "here's a lady as says she's Matilda Simpson, Mrs. De Peyster's housekeeper. How about it?"
Her desire to annihilate that clerk with the suave ambassadorial look, and the Dauphin, and all therein and all appertaining thereunto, was mounting toward explosion, when Matilda clutched her arm. "It's awful, ma'am, but let's go," she whispered. "What else can we do?" Yes, what else could they do? Mrs. De Peyster's wrath was still at demolitory pressure, but she saw the sense in that question.
And then suddenly: "Why, that was about the time that first rumor was printed of his engagement to Ethel Quintard. And again this morning in the 'Record' did you see it?" "I never give thought to the newspapers," was Mrs. De Peyster's somewhat stiff response. "You have have told the police?" "The police, of course not!
"I beg pardon; I fear I come inopportunely," he said, as he sighted Mrs. De Peyster's militant attitude. "But I was told to come right up. I'll just wait " "Do not go, Judge Harvey," Mrs. De Peyster commanded, as he started to withdraw. "On the other hand, your arrival is most opportune. Please come here." "Good-morning, Uncle Bob," Jack said cheerfully. "Excuse me for not shaking hands.
"U'm, I saw those tender little love passages between you and William!" Mrs. De Peyster stood a pillar of ice. "Better not let mother find it out," he advised. "If she got on to this! But I'll never tell on you, Matilda." He patted her shoulder assuringly. "So don't worry." Mrs. De Peyster's lips opened.
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