“Please call him something else.”
“Well, we’ll call him the encumbrance on the estate; that’s legal, I believe, and expresses it nicely. If we should freeze out the encumbrance, we might freeze him to his village, and he might insist on your going with him, which wouldn’t do at all, my dear. For one thing, Malcolm would probably insist on going, also, and I, for one, don’t yearn for rural simplicity. Ha! ha! Oh, you mustn’t mind me. I’m only a doting mamma, dearie, and I have my air castles like everyone else. So, freezing out won’t do. No, you and Steve must be polite to our encumbrance.”
“I shall not get on my knees to him and beg. That I sha’n’t do.”
“No one expects you to. If anyone begs it should be he. Condescend to just a little. Make him feel his place. Correct him when he goes too far wrong, and ignore him when he gets assertive. As for getting rid of him at times when it may be necessary—well, I think you may safely leave that to me.”
“To you? Oh, Mrs. Dunn, we couldn’t think of dragging you into it. It is bad enough that we should be disgraced; but you must not be.”
“My dear child, I think my position in society is sufficiently established to warrant a risk or two. If I am seen in company with—with the encumbrance, people will merely say, ‘Oh, it’s another of her eccentricities!’ that’s all. Now, don’t worry, and don’t fret all that pretty color from your cheeks. Always remember this: it is but for a year or a trifle over. Then you will be of age and can send your encumbrance to the right-about in a hurry.”
Caroline, under the spell of this convincing eloquence, began to cheer up. She even smiled.
“Well,” she said, “I will try to be diplomatic. I really will. But Stephen—I’m not sure what dreadful thing he will do.”
“He will return to college soon. I will take upon myself the convincing of the encumbrance to that effect. And while he is at home, Malcolm will take charge of him. He will be delighted to do it.”
“Mrs. Dunn, how can we ever thank you sufficiently? What should we do without you and Malcolm?”