“Here! A few days!” repeated Miss Larkin, and, looking helplessly about, she sank back into the chair from which she had risen, and, closing her eyes, seemed about to faint away.
“Ugh! how appalling!” said Mrs. Mortimer, in the tone one might use at seeing a dozen boa constrictors suddenly turned loose in one’s vicinity.
But there was also a note of contempt in her voice, which touched Marjorie’s self-respect. At any rate, she must not forget her own manners, whatever Miss Larkin’s guest might do. She turned to the strange lady, and curtseyed prettily.
“How do you do, Mrs. Mortimer?” she said; “I can’t shake hands until I’m tidied up.”
“I should think not,” said Mrs. Mortimer, with a slight shudder, but Marjorie, having made her greetings, turned to the other guest.
She was about to speak to him in the same formal manner, when he grasped her hand, and said, cordially:
“How do you do, Miss Marjorie? You have evidently had an adventure. Can I help you in any way?”
His genial tones as well as his actual words were such a comfort to Marjorie, that she regained at once her rapidly-disappearing composure, and felt that she had found, most unexpectedly, a helpful friend.
King, too, appreciated the gentleman’s good-will, and after a few words of greeting, felt his own courage fortified, and went over to where Miss Larkin sat, with her eyes still closed to the dreadful sight before her. “Now, look here, Larky,” he whispered, “you’re making it all worse by acting like that. Brace up to the ’casion, and let’s see what we can do.”
“What we can do!” echoed Miss Larkin, as she opened her eyes to treat Kingdon to an angry glare. “There’s nothing to do! You have disgraced me forever.”