“It is because of all this that Mrs. Lee is calling on you to help her. She feels—er—dependent on your generous heart to mellow the heart of Roseborough. It seems that Mr. Falcon has come to a realization of what Roseborough and—er—incidentally, Professor and Mrs. Lee—did for him.”
“Well! I should hope so,” Mrs. Witherby broke in—it was always difficult for her to remain silent and allow another to talk—“but I certainly doubt it. Why, I’ve seen him climb a thorn hedge to avoid meeting me on the highway. I have always made it a point to stop the boys, especially when I saw them dawdling about the countryside, and say a few pointed words to them about wasted opportunities. (Be quiet, Central!) But I don’t believe I ever once caught that uncouth, hedge-leaping youth. I can’t imagine him coming to any good.”
“Life—the years—age, you know—have greatly changed him. He has come to feel that, but for his training here in Roseborough, he could never have made his” (she elongated the next two words) “great success.”
“What’s that? What’s that you say?” Mrs. Witherby shook the instrument in her excitement. “Success? What success?”
(“Waiting?”)
(“Be quiet, Central! Be quiet, I say!) What success?”
“You are to hear all about that this evening. I told Mrs. Lee I should ask you and the girls and the Wellses, the Judge, Mr. Andrews, and Dr. Frei—and Wilton, of course—to come in for cards and a little supper. My sister has disappointed me. So I shall be all alone, unless you come. I shall coax Mrs. Lee to come, too, for an hour—though she never goes anywhere in the evening. Then—with that inimitable tact and sympathy of yours—you can lead her to tell us all about Mr. Falcon’s achievements in Europe.”
“In Europe? Good gracious!”
“Yes. Of course, I only gathered odds and ends about it, because Mrs. Lee is so retiring and seemed to feel that to tell of the old pupil’s honours might appear vain on her part....”
“Oh, dear Mrs. Lee! Why should she feel so? If this Mr. Falcon has won honours abroad, Mrs. Lee can hardly consider his return in a personal light. I consider it entirely a Roseborough matter.”