“Worse! Oh, Mrs. Dunn, how could they be? Think of it! Stephen and I are dependent upon him for everything. We must ask him for every penny. And whatever he says to do we must do. We’re obliged to. Just think! if he decides to take us back with him to—South Denboro, or whatever dreadful place he comes from, we shall have to go—and live there.”
“But he won’t, my dear. He won’t. It will take some time to settle your father’s affairs, and the business will have to be transacted here in New York.”
“I know. I suppose that’s true. But that doesn’t make it any easier. If he stops here he will stay with us. And what shall we do? We can’t introduce him to our friends, or, at least, to any except our best, our understanding friends, like you and Malcolm.”
“Why, I’m not sure. He is rather—well—er—countryfied, but I believe he has a good heart. He is not rude or unkind or anything of that sort, is he?”
“No. No-o. He’s not that, at all. In fact, he means to be kind in his way. But it’s such a different way from ours. He is not used to society; he wouldn’t understand that certain things and ways were absolutely essential. I suppose it isn’t his fault exactly, but that doesn’t help. And how can we tell him?”
“I don’t know that you can tell him, but you might hint. Diplomacy, my dear, is one of the necessary elements of life. Whatever else you do remember to be diplomatic. My poor husband used to have a pet proverb—he was interested in politics, my dear, and some of his sayings were a trifle grotesque but very much to the point. He used to say that one could get rid of more flies with molasses than with a club. And I think he was right. Now let me consider. Let’s look the situation right in the face. Of course your guardian, as a companion, as an associate for us, for our kind of people, is, to be quite frank, impossible.”
“Yes. Yes, I’m sure he is.”
“Yes. But he is your guardian. Therefore, we can’t get rid of him with—well, with a club. He must be endured and made as endurable as possible. And it certainly will not do to offend him.”
“Steve says we must do what he calls freezing him out—make him feel that we do not want him here.”
“Hum! Well, Stephen is a nice boy—Malcolm adores him—but he isn’t a diplomat. If we should—what is it?—freeze out your uncle—”