“Lilian’s out on the point working on a song.”
“Words and tune too?”
“I don’t know, very likely. She has her guitar with her and told us that she was not to be disturbed ‘on pain of death’. But she laughed when she said it, and if you want to see her, go and hunt her up.”
“Imagine Lil’s going off alone!”
“First she and Cathalina were working on a Merrymeeting song, then we all got at it and evolved one of a sort. O, it’s a rouser, mihi crede!” and Betty waved both hands, as if directing some Merrymeeting celebration.
“What’s ‘meehee craydeh’?” asked Virgie.
“‘Believe me’; you find it in Cicero, though he did not use it in a slangy way, of course. At least I suppose not, in his famous orations. You ought to take Latin, Virgie. It would be lots of fun now, because you would have it to Patty. Dr. Carver wouldn’t have the beginning Latin classes last year, so Patty took them. We had it to Dr. Carver, alas. Here comes Lilian now. Did you get ‘lonse’ all by yourself, Lil?”
“Yes, and the divine afflatus wouldn’t afflate. I guess it works better when you’re all round. I thought if anything would bring the Muse it would be the ashes of the camp fires and the thoughts of the Indians that used to meet there. I just had a little idea, but not of a regular Merrymeeting song.”
“Did you know that the people on some of the land here first got their deed, or whatever it was, back in 1726?”
“My, they must be old!”