The Maryland gentleman bowed gravely, but deigned no reply in words.
“Madam,” he said, turning to the stranger, “if you will accept a seat in our carriage, and give us the privilege of your company at our house, Mrs. Force and myself would like to talk further with you on this subject.”
“Oh, yes, thanky’! That I will! For I have got lots and loads to tell you about that grand vilyun! You needn’t think I came here to stop the marriage because I cared for him! Not I! I’m that sick of the beast that the very sight of him is tartar emetic! What i’ the name o’ sense ever come over a purty gal like your daughter to take up with a man like him? And a man older and uglier than her own father? Good land! I didn’t mean to say that! I beg your pardon, sir; I didn’t indeed! I meant to say a man not nearly so young and handsome as her own father! That was it!” exclaimed the stranger.
Mr. Force bowed his acknowledgment of her apology, and then led her up to the pew occupied by his wife and daughters, and introduced her as follows:
“Mrs. Col. Angus Anglesea, my dear. Mrs. Anglesea, my wife, Mrs. Force; our eldest daughter, Miss Force; our younger daughters, Misses Wynnette and Elva; our friend, Miss Meeke.”
When rather embarrassed bows and courtesies were exchanged, Mr. Force added:
“Mrs. Anglesea has been so kind as to accept an invitation to return home with us.”
“Yes,” put in the lady referred to. “Yes, your old man asked me, and I accepted, because I have got such loads and loads and loads to tell you about that grand vilyun. Didn’t he come nigh doing for that lamb? Never mind, honey”—this to the half-conscious Odalite—“I know it seems hard for you, ’specially if you was fond of him—though why you should ‘a’ been—Lord! Anyhow, bad as it is now, it would ‘a’ been a heap worse if he’d ‘a’ married you and then you’d found out as he had another wife a-living.”
Odalite took no notice of this speech. Wynnette answered:
“Oh, you needn’t fret your nerves to fiddle strings about that—I mean you need not distress yourself, ma’am. She hates him, and so do I. And so does Elva. In spite of prayer book and catechism, we hate him. We can’t help it.”