Millicent’s questioning expression faded. “I shan’t be there to bring,” she said quietly; “we shall have to move away into the country somewhere.”
“But that showed that she likes you, Millicent—that all those absurd ideas about your not satisfying her don’t amount to anything. I told her. She knows what I want.”
“I understand better than you do.” Millicent smiled faintly. “She knows you haven’t met girls of your own kind yet, and what changes a year may bring; but she wants to keep you happy.”
They were able to get a chair car on the train that night. Miss Frink and Hugh sat in adjoining seats, and Millicent in the third leaned back with closed eyes and thought of her grandfather, and tried to make plans for their future. She worked to exclude the radiant possibility which had dawned on her in the wonderful ride of the morning. Every joy she had ever dreamed of was embraced in the thought of a life with Hugh; but it was too sudden, he was too young to know what he wanted, and she was sure that Miss Frink’s plans and ambitions for him made the idea of little Milly Duane an absurdity. The Queen of Farrandale should see that her attitude was completely shared by Millicent herself.
The train was late in starting, and, by reason of detention along the way, it was after eleven o’clock when it pulled into Farrandale. They took a station taxicab and drove to Miss Frink’s house, intending that, after the lady had entered, Hugh, mindful of Colonel Duane’s exhortation, would take Millicent home; but as they approached, they were surprised to see the lower floor of the house brightly lighted, and an automobile parked before it.
“Come in with us, Millicent,” said Miss Frink. “We may as well see what this illumination means before you go home.”
Hugh let them into the hall with his latch-key, and laughter from the end of the corridor showed that the study was occupied. Miss Frink led the way and was first to enter the room. She stood for a moment while the gay laughter died on the lips of her secretary and Adèle Lumbard as they stared at the apparition. Mr. Goldstein was standing by Miss Frink’s flat-topped desk, and apparently had just laid upon it a handful of gold pieces. Millicent would have shrunk back, but Hugh held her firmly by the arm and they followed Miss Frink as she moved into the room.
Besides herself, Mr. Goldstein was the only unembarrassed member of the company.
“In the nick of time, Miss Frink,” he said, advancing with an air of cordial welcome. He made a move toward shaking hands, but the expression on the face of the Queen of Farrandale discouraged him.
There succeeded a silent space while she walked to the desk and picked up a paper bearing her signature.