“I do not know,” said Mrs. Archibald to Clyde, “exactly how I am going to assert myself to-day, but I shall do it one way or the other; I am not going to be left out in the cold.”
Clyde smiled, but he had no suggestion to offer; his mind was filled with the conjecture as to what sort of a hermit life Margery was going to lead, and if she had already begun it. But just then the bishop came up, and together they went to carry the tent back to Camp Roy.
It was at least an hour afterwards, and Mrs. Archibald was comfortably seated in the shade darning stockings, with an open book in her lap. Sometimes she would read a little in the book and then she would make some long and careful stitches in the stocking, and then she would look about her as if she greatly enjoyed combining her work and her recreation in such a lovely place on such a lovely summer morning. During one of these periods of observation she perceived Corona Raybold approaching.
“Good-morning,” said the elder lady. “Is this your first appearance?”
“Yes,” said Corona, with a gentle smile. “When I woke this morning I found myself to be an individual who liked to lie in bed and gaze out through an open fold in my tent upon the world beyond, and so I lay and dozed and gazed, until I felt like getting up, and then I got up, and you cannot imagine how bright and happy I felt as I thought of what I had been doing. For one morning at least I had been true to myself, without regard to other people or what they might think about it. To-morrow, if I feel like it, I shall rise at dawn, and go out and look at the stars struggling with Aurora. Whatever my personal instincts happen to be, I shall be loyal to them. Now how do you propose to assert your individuality?”
“Unfortunately,” said Mrs. Archibald, “I cannot do that exactly as I would like to. If we had not promised my daughter and her husband that we would stay away for a month, I should go directly home and superintend my jelly-making and fruit-preserving; but as I cannot do that, I have determined to act out my own self here. I shall darn stockings and sew or read, and try to make myself comfortable and happy, just as I would if I were sitting on my broad piazza, at home.”
“Good!” said Corona. “I think it likely that you will be more true to yourself than any of us. Doubtless you were born to be the head of a domestic household, and if you followed your own inclination you would be that if you were adrift with your family on a raft in the middle of the ocean. Now I am going away to see what further suggestions my nature has to offer me. What is Mr. Archibald doing?”
Mrs. Archibald smiled. She knew what Corona’s nature would suggest if she met a man who could talk, or rather, listen. “Oh, his nature has prompted him to hie away to the haunts of game, and to stay there until he is half starved.”
Miss Raybold heaved a little sigh. “I see very few persons about here,” she said—“only the two guides, in fact.”
“Yes,” said Mrs. Archibald, “the bishop has gone to help Mr. Clyde with his tent.”