“And I think this whole arrangement is bound to defeat my purpose,” said Carey unhappily. “The very changes we can’t afford to make in a rented house are the ones Judith needs to have made to reconcile her to the experiment. She says she feels ill every time she comes to the house and sees that window. She wants a porcelain sink in the kitchen. She would like speaking-tubes and a system of electric bells. We’re to have a servant—if we can find her. We’ve put green paper on all the downstairs rooms, and it turns out the wrong green. I wanted a sort of corn-colour that looked more cheerful, but it seems green is the only thing. I don’t know what’s the matter with me. Perhaps I’m bilious. Green seems to be all right in your house, but in mine it makes me want to go outdoors.”
“That’s precisely what you should do,” Anthony advised cheerfully. “Get outdoors all you can. Start your garden. Mow your lawn yourself. Make over that gravel path to your front door.”
“I’ve only evenings,” objected Carey. “And we’re not settled yet. The paper’s only just on. We haven’t moved. We’re buying furniture. We bought a sideboard yesterday. It cost so much we had to get a cheaper range for the kitchen than seemed desirable, but Judith liked the sideboard so well I was glad to buy it. I don’t know when we shall get to living there permanently. This furnishing business knocks me out. We don’t seem to know what we want. I’d like—” he hesitated—“I hoped Mrs. Robeson might be able to give us the advantage of her experience, but it turns out that Judith has a sort of pride in doing it herself, and of course—I presume you made some mistakes yourselves, eh?” He suggested this with eagerness.
“Oh, of course,” agreed Anthony readily, though he wondered what they were, and inwardly begged Juliet’s pardon for this answer, given out of masculine sympathy with his friend’s helplessness. “You’ll come out all right,” he hastily assured Carey. “Once you are living in the new place things will adjust themselves. Keep up your courage. Your daily walk to and from the train will do wonders. Lack of exercise will make a rainbow look gloomy to a fellow. I think you’ve great cause for rejoicing that Judith has agreed to try the experiment at all. And as with all experiments, you must be patient while it works itself out.”
“That’s so,” agreed Carey, a gleam of hope in his eyes; and Anthony got away. But by himself the happier man shook his head doubtfully. “Where everything depends on the woman,” he said to himself, “and you’ve married one that her Maker never fashioned for domestic joys, you’re certainly up against a mighty difficult proposition!”
XXIV.—The Careys Are at Home
Wayne and Judith Carey had been keeping house for two months before Judith was willing to accede to her husband’s often repeated request that they entertain the Robesons.
“We’ve been there, together and separately, till it’s a wonder their hospitality doesn’t freeze up,” he urged. “Let’s have them out to-morrow night, and keep them over till next day, at least. I’d like to have them sleep under this roof. They’d bring us good luck.”