“You sly young monkey, you! Geraldine, has this girl told you what she’s done?”
“What?”
“Gone and got married! This morning!! To Mr. Horace Williams!!!” Mrs. Palmer’s voice rose in a positively jubilant crescendo.
“Married!” screamed Geraldine. Her face became scarlet, and then grey.
“My little girl, married at seventeen!” said Mrs. Palmer with her head on one side.
She examined Elsie’s plump hand with its wedding-ring.
Horace Williams stood by, quietly smiling. “Then you’re willing to trust her to me, Mrs. Palmer? You’ll forgive us for taking you by surprise, but you see, in all the circumstances, I could hardly—I naturally preferred—something very quiet. But you and I will have a little talk about business one of these days, and you’ll find that part of it all in good order. Elsie will be provided for, whatever happens.”
“So generous,” murmured Mrs. Palmer.
She insisted upon their remaining to dinner, and sent out Nellie Simmons for a bottle of wine. Elsie, now that she saw that her mother looked upon her marriage with the elderly solicitor as a triumph, and that Geraldine was madly jealous of her, became herself excited and elated.
Williams went to the office in the afternoon, but Elsie remained at home and packed up all her things.