“Oh, it is drizzling! I wonder if it is not always drizzling in this whimpering climate,” grumbled Anna, as she met Drusilla in their private parlor very early on the morning of the Derby Day.
“It is but a light drizzle; it will not hurt us and it may clear off,” suggested Drusilla, hopefully.
“All ready, my darlings? That is right, for we must make an early start if we wish to get a good position on the hill. I don’t know that reserved places are ever taken in advance for the Derby; but I do know that we have not secured any. Ring for breakfast, Anna, my child, and let us have it over. But where is Dick?” inquired the General, as he joined his young people.
“He has stepped around to the livery stable to make sure of the barouche we engaged. He will be back in a few minutes,” replied Anna.
“He might have left that to the servants; but Dick can’t keep out of a stable, if only he has the faintest shadow of an excuse to go into one. Well—he might go into worse places,” said the General, just as the absentee returned.
“A strong, well sprung, capacious barouche and a fine pair of horses! Altogether as good a turn-out as is to be had for love or money,” said Dick, as he threw himself into a chair.
“But what is that you have there?” inquired the General, pointing to a well-sized parcel rolled up in tissue paper which Mr. Hammond carried in his hands.
“This! Oh, this contains our veils,” answered Dick, unrolling the parcel and displaying yards of blue, green, mauve, brown and gray barège.
“Our—what?”
“Veils for the Derby. I saw other fellows buying veils and they told me it was the usual thing to keep off the dust, you know. There, Anna, there’s a blue one for you. Needn’t take the trouble to hem it; nobody does; it is only to be used for one occasion, and is never fit for anything else afterwards. Here, Drusa, you may have the green one; and little Lenny the mauve; and now, uncle, here are two—a gray and a brown, for you and me. I thought you would like a subdued color best, as I do. We are to tie them around our hats,” said Dick, offering the choice of the remaining veils to the General.