“Shall we play hearts?” asked May, with appropriate glances, “or shall we just talk?... There’s no moon and the piazza is all wet.”
Ellen said nothing; she continued to regard Mr. Murdock with a curious, speculative air.
“Let’s play hearts,” said the anemic Jimmy, fidgeting and climbing over the sofa. “I kin play, Mr. Murdock,” he added proudly.
Upon the pride of the Seton family, Ellen turned a withering glance, charged with homicidal meaning. It said, “What are you doing here?... If you were my brother you’d be in bed where you belong.”
“Ellen wants to play hearts!... Ellen wants to play hearts!” sang out Jimmy, pulling awry the shade of the imitation bronze lamp.
Herman Biggs blushed and stammered that it made no difference to him. Mr. Murdock was gentle and polite. “Let’s talk,” he suggested mildly, “we might as well get acquainted.” As the oldest by nearly ten years and the most sophisticated by virtue of his residence in New York, he took the lead.
“I think so too,” replied Ellen and a curious flash of understanding passed between them, a glance which implied a mutual superiority founded upon something deep in Ellen’s nature and upon Mr. Murdock’s superior age and metropolitan bearing.
So they talked, rather stupid talk, punctuated by May’s giggles, the guffaws of Herman Biggs, and the pinches of the anemic Jimmy, who was never still. Now this pale pest swung himself from the curtains, now he climbed the back of a chair, now he sought the top of the oak piano, menacing lamps and vases and pictures. And after a while Ellen was induced to sit at the piano and play for the party. It was ragtime they wanted, so she played “I’m afraid to go home in the dark” and “Bon-bon Buddy” and other favorites which Mr. Murdock sang in a pleasant baritone voice. After that he gave imitations of various vaudeville artists singing these same ballads.
At length May and Herman Biggs retired, accompanied by Jimmy, to bring in the refreshments, and Ellen was left alone with the stranger.
“I suppose,” she began, “you find it dull here after New York.”