“So it do me. And if people don’t know what they’re a-talking about, sez I, they’d better hold their tongues, sez I.”
“Young Mrs. Ingle will be mighty proud to have the old folks and the gals back. Lord! how fond she was of them two little gals. To think of her naming her two babies after them—the first Wynnette and the second Elva. Let’s see; the first one must be two years old.”
“Wynnie is twenty-three months old, and Ellie is nine months; but they are both sich smart, lively, sensible children that any one might think as they was older than that. But I don’t hold with children being took so much notice of, and stimmerlated in their intellects so much. Fair an’ easy, sez I; slow and sure, sez I, goes a long way, sez I.”
So, talking about their neighbors, as usual, but not uncharitably, the gossips passed the day. At sunset they had tea together; and then Gad brought around the mule cart—the only equipage owned by the descendant of the great duke—who put on her bonnet and shawl, bid good-by to her crony, got into her seat and drove homeward.
“Well, the ole ’oman has give me long enough notice to get ready for ’em; but she knows there’s a good deal to be done, and country workmen is slow, let alone the niggers, who is slowest of all,” ruminated Mrs. Anglesea, who resolved to begin operations next day.
CHAPTER V
THE FORTUNES OF ODALITE
To explain the mysterious letter written by Elfrida Force to her housekeeper, we must condense the family history of the last three years, which had passed without any incident worth recording, and bring it up to the time when events full of importance for good or evil followed each other in rapid succession.
Mr. Force, on removing his family to Washington, in the month of February three years before, took apartments in one of the best hotels for himself, his wife, and their eldest daughter, while he placed his two younger daughters and his little ward at a first-class boarding school.
The Forces had some friends and acquaintances in the city, and to these they sent cards, which were promptly honored by calls.
For the sake of Odalite, Mrs. Force chose to enter the gay society for which she herself had little heart.