“You can’t do that,” said the Major.
“In as good a temper as possible between this and then. And now, Mrs. Gregg, if you’ll excuse my saying so, I think you and Mary Ellen had better trot off to the dressmaker. If any further difficulty arises refer to me at once. But I don’t see how anything can. All you’ve got to do is to let Mrs. Ford have her own way, and give your orders when she’s gone home.”
Mrs. Gregg did not seem entirely satisfied with this settlement of her difficulty, but she and Mary Ellen went off together to meet Mrs. Ford at the dressmaker’s.
“Women,” said Dr. O’Grady, “are the devil.”
He was not much better satisfied than Mrs. Gregg was with his new plan. He foresaw very serious difficulties in carrying it out.
“You’ve no one but yourself to thank for all this bother!” said the Major. “There wasn’t the slightest necessity to have Mary Ellen in the affair at all, dressed or undressed.”
Dr. O’Grady was not listening to a word the Major said. He was thinking deeply. His face lightened suddenly and he rushed across the room to the door.
“Mrs. Gregg!” he shouted. “Mrs. Gregg! Just one moment. I’ve got a capital suggestion to make, one to which there can be no possible objection from any point of view.”
He ran downstairs. Father McCormack went to the door and looked after him. Then he turned and addressed the Major.
“You might go a long journey,” he said, “before you’d meet the equal of the doctor.”