“Yes, I’ll try. But oh, I do hope I shall not have to go back to America with father.”
“Suppose we don’t even think of that at present, but just wait,” I said. “It will not be yet, Maimie.”
“No, and so much might happen first,” she observed dreamily.
[CHAPTER XVIII.]
JACK AND HIS MOTHER.
THAT day seemed to work a change in our home. The peaceful monotony of our life was broken, and the waters could not get back to their former even flow. A kind of restlessness, of uncertainty, was upon us all, more or less. I do not think our placid Cherry was exactly restless, but she could not forget the fear of soon losing Maimie. And Maimie herself appeared to live in a state of chronic dread. The girl’s anxious looks and fluttering colour told of a constant strain.
Churton slept for some days in a room near. We could not have taken him in without much crowding. He was often in and out; but never “in” without putting our household into a flutter,—how or why I could hardly have told. To the younger boys he brought sweetmeats, and so won their hearts; but his visits meant no sugar-plums to us elder folks.
He seemed desirous to get hold of Maimie somehow, as if conscious that his former power over her was gone. I imagine that her extreme love for us was an annoyance to him. Sometimes he brought presents, which she accepted gratefully but not affectionately. Sometimes he tried petting, and Maimie visibly disliked it. Once or twice he gave way to positive anger, speaking roughly, telling her she was fickle and ungrateful Maimie attempted no defence, but only grew pale, and slipped away to my side as if for protection.
We had not seen anything of Aunt Briscoe for many weeks. Her Thursday letters came regularly still, so we knew that she was well. The next after Churton’s arrival mentioned him in a passing way, speaking of him as “much improved.” We could hardly have endorsed this opinion. But for the information thus obtained, we should not have known that Churton had been to “The Gables” at all. He made no mention of the call.
No further allusion had been uttered by him to the subject of Maimie’s expenses while with us. We were much pressed and harassed with need of money, hardly knowing how to get on, even with the strictest economy. I asked Robert one day whether he did not think of speaking to Churton about the offered cheque. He said, “Not yet.”