"My dear mother always brought them to my father," replied Miss Chris placidly. "It was her pleasure to wait on him."
"And it is mine to have Dudley wait on me. But you do make an unfair difference between us, Aunt Chris. Why did you call me 'uncharitable' when I said Mrs. Gordon painted immodestly! Dudley said the same thing this morning, and you only smiled."
"It was uncharitable, my dear, and besides it is too palpable to need mention—but men will be men."
Eugenia frowned. "I wish you would occasionally remember that women will be women," she suggested. She wore a scarlet shirtwaist, and the glow from the fire seemed to follow her about.
"I won't have Aunt Chris bullied, Eugie," declared Dudley as he rose. "Well, I'm off again. I may bring a legislator or two back to dinner. What have we got?"
"The Lord knows," replied Eugenia desperately. "Our third cook this month for one thing, and Congo refuses to serve dinner in courses. He says 'dar's too much shufflin' er de dishes for too little victuals.'"
Dudley laughed at her mimicry.
"Oh, I suppose we'll do," he said. "By the way, don't forget to call on Mrs. Rann to-day."
Miss Chris was gazing placidly into the fire. As Dudley turned with his hand on the door knob, she looked up.
"I was surprised to find the Capitol so dirty," she observed regretfully.