Mr. Pond, however, smiled suddenly. The smile largely transformed his dark face, making it look for the first time quite agreeable, and even kind.
"I mean," said he, "those who are highly ornamental, but cannot candidly be described as generally useful."
The reply, for some reason, silenced her. She thought of Mrs. Page. The man's smile faded.
"Not," said he, "that I don't consider ornaments of use. I do, in their place. Now I must get back to the firing-line. I can only add that if you are serious about wanting to help me, Miss--I'm afraid I didn't catch your name--you will lose no time in qualifying yourself to be of service. Obviously you are not so qualified at present."
He nodded curtly, and turned away. The admiring populace swallowed him up....
Cally felt as if she had received a severe drubbing. She felt rebuffed, defeated, depressed, and at the same time vaguely stimulated. However, the moment for introspective analysis was not now....
"Well, Cally," said motherly Mrs. McVey, drifting by, "you must feel sort of lonesome--such a turn-out of old folks I never saw. I wanted Evey to come, but she said she 'd as soon go to a tea at the Needy Ladies' Home."
On the heels of Evey's mother came Cally's own, whose watchful eye had been felt from a distance before now. Possibly mamma had not forgotten what happened the last time Cally came to the Dabney House....
"I saw you talking with Mr. Pond," said Mrs. Heth, a little aside. "How did he impress you?"
"He's the most conceited human being I ever saw," said Cally. "I believe he said one or two fairly interesting things."