But Mr Philip thought there was not room for all, and Mrs Inglis would not trust little Mary with them, so they went without them.
This was Mr Philip’s first visit to the bridge house. Mrs Inglis had seen him at church, and David had seen him a good many times at the bank. He had been at home a week or two, and Violet had, of course, seen him every day. David had acknowledged that he did not like him very much, and Jem called him “a swell,” and spoke contemptuously of his fine clothes and fine manners. Violet had taken his part, and said he was just like other people. He was very kind to his little sisters, she said. There had been a good deal said about him in one way or another, and Mrs Inglis regarded him with curiosity and interest. He was a good-looking lad, with a pleasant face and manner. “Just like other people,” did not quite do him justice. Mrs Inglis could not help thinking Jem’s idea of “a swell” did not suit him certainly. He was not “fine,” on the present occasion, either in dress or manners. David had said very little about about him, but he had not approved of him, and, seeing the young man now so frank and friendly, she could not but wonder why.
They did not go into the house, and by and by they all crossed the garden and went up on the railway track to watch the boat; and, being a little behind the others, leading little Mary between them, his mother asked David what was the reason of his dislike.
“Dislike! mamma,” said David, in surprise. “I don’t dislike him. I don’t know him very well. He has had very little to say to me. Why should you think that I dislike him?”
“Perhaps dislike is too strong a word. But I fancied that you did not quite approve of him, David.”
“Approve of him! Well—he is not one of us—of our kind of people, I mean. He does not look at things as we do. I don’t dislike him, mamma, but I don’t care about him.”
“Which means he doesn’t care about you?” said his mother, smiling.
David laughed.
“He certainly does not. He is much too great a man to have anything to say to me. But I don’t think that is the reason that I don’t ‘approve’ of him, as you say. He is not in earnest about anything. He is extravagant—he spends a great deal of money foolishly. But I ought not to speak of that. Mr Caldwell told me, and he seemed quite as well pleased that we should have little to say to one another. He said Frank was the better companion for Jem and me.”
“I dare say that is true,” said his mother.