A little amused smile on Polly’s face made Lilith wonder; but neither of them said much. Miss Converse did not need assistance. She talked until Lilith actually felt sleepy and finally excused herself on plea of some urgent duty. Polly longed to follow; but her guest gave her no chance for withdrawal, and it was late before she could obtain a release.
On the morning after Marietta’s arrival as Polly was passing through the kitchen, Benedicta called her aside and with a show of secrecy closed the door which opened on the dining-room porch.
“Miss Polly”—she lowered her tone—“there ain’t anything much for dinner! Somebody’s got to go down to Overlook, an’ it better be me.”
“Where’s Grocer Jack?”
“More ’n I know. I told him we shouldn’t want anything Monday and he needn’t stop. I saw Mis’ Seldon last night and she said he was ’most sick when he was at her house; so I take it he ain’t comin’. It’s too late for him now. I’ve got to have some sugar for certain to-day—there’s cookies an’ shortcake an’ lots of things wantin’ sugar. An’ steak I must get—and eggs if Young Ben has got any. We ate up the last scrap of meat for breakfast—my! how that piece of vainglory does eat!”
“Miss Converse?”
“Huh!—yere. I’d like to shut her up in the closet till she learned how to behave.”
“What’s the matter with her?” smiled Polly.
Benedicta shrugged her shoulders with another “Huh!”—“I’m goin’ now,” she said.
It was two o’clock when she returned. The children had had a luncheon, and were taking their afternoon rest. She drove directly to the garage, without a glance toward the veranda where Polly and the White Nurse were sitting.