“I will see if baby is all right and join you in a few minutes,” said Alice.
Aunt Ella passed her hat and wrap to the maid, and entered the drawing room.
“Maude Sawyer, what cloud did you drop from? Where did you come from? Excuse me,” said Aunt Ella as she espied Maude's companion, who had kept in the background.
“This is my husband, Mr. Harry Merry. We're just from London. We've been doing the town. What a big noisy place.”
Alice came in and the introduction was repeated.
“Well, Maude,” said Aunt Ella, “we're delighted to see you and your husband, but your arrival was so unexpected that you must pardon my evidences of surprise.”
“They're very excusable,” said Maude. “I can hardly realize, myself, that we are here. You and Alice are wondering what brought us, and you are entitled to an explanation. We just eloped because father would not give his consent.”
The presence of Mr. Merry made the situation an awkward one, but Aunt Ella was a woman with opinions and was not afraid to express them. So she said:
“I suppose your father will disinherit you. I hope that will not mar your future happiness.”
“I don't think it will. Harry has a good position, we've got some money in the bank, and we're going to have a nice little flat in Cambridge or Roxbury. I want to see my little nephew, Quincy's boy, and then we are going right back to London.”