“Going in for old masters, maybe,” suggested Mr. Duff, with a sarcasm that fell pointless at Mrs. Hattie’s feet.
“Old masters?”
“Yes—oil paintings.”
“Certainly not.” Her chin came up a little. “I’m not going to have anything old in my house—where it can be seen—For once I’m going to have new things—all new things. You have to make a show or you won’t be recognized by the best people.”
“But, Hattie, my dear,” began Miss Maggie, flushing a little, and carefully avoiding Mr. Smith’s eyes, “old masters are—are very valuable, and—”
“I don’t care if they are,” retorted Mrs. Hattie, with decision. “If they’re old, I don’t want them, and that settles it. I’m going to have velvet carpets and the handsomest lace curtains that I can find; and I’m going to have some of those gold chairs, like the Pennocks have, only nicer. Theirs are awfully dull, some of them. And I’m going to buy—”
“Humph! Pity you can’t buy a little common sense—somewhere!” snarled old man Duff, getting stiffly to his feet. “You’ll need it, to swing all that style.”
“Oh, father!” murmured Miss Maggie.
“Oh, I don’t mind what Father Duff says,” laughed Mrs. Hattie. But there was a haughty tilt to her chin and an angry sparkle in her eyes as she, too, arose. “I’m just going, anyway, so you don’t need to disturb yourself, Father Duff.”
But Father Duff, with another “Humph!” and a muttered something about having all he wanted already of “silly chatter,” stamped out into the kitchen, with the usual emphasis of his cane at every other step.