“Yes—yes, child, of course,” said Alexia; “I don’t want you to tell me that newspaper talk, I want to hear about him. Is he nice?”
“Oh, he’s splendid!” cried Grace, beating her hands together. “If he were to come into the room now, you’d say you never saw such a handsome man.”
“I don’t know about that,” said Alexia, who had ideas of her own as to manly beauty. “Well, go on.”
“And all the girls are in love with him,” said Grace; “but he’s just devoted to his art, and he don’t care anything for any of them.”
“Except Phronsie,” said Alexia.
“Except Miss Phronsie,” cried Grace, hugging herself at the thought. “Well, and the first bit of money he ever earned,—it was for a fountain or something, and it took the prize,—the design, I mean,—he gave it to a poor boy he knew at home, who hadn’t any money to study with. And mamma is going over next fall to see him; and I’ve been teasing her to take me, but she said I must stay with Aunt Atherton another year and go to school. And now—O Mrs. Dodge! I didn’t tell you, for this other news scared it all out of my head—Mrs. King has asked me to stay at ‘The Oaks.’”
“You don’t mean it, Grace?” cried Alexia, catching her by the arm; “why, I meant to have you myself.”
“Well, I’m to be with dear Mrs. King, and go in every day to Miss Willoughby,” said Grace in great satisfaction; “for mamma answered Mrs. King’s letter and said so, and Miss Willoughby says she wants me back again. She really did, Mrs. Dodge.”
“I don’t doubt it, child,” said Alexia. “I rather like you myself. Well, now, Grace, this troubles me.” She nursed her knee with her long arms, and gazed into Grace’s face. “Roslyn May is your cousin, and I am just determined to do something to help Phronsie. I can’t keep still any longer; I shall fly out of my head if I do. Now, can’t you write to him, and ask him why he didn’t come to see Phronsie when he was over last time? That will bring some sort of an answer, and at least tell us the reason.”
“Oh, so I will!” cried Grace, springing up; “I will write it now, this very minute.” Then she stopped suddenly, and her face turned scarlet. “Mrs. Dodge,” she said, “I’d rather not. I’ve just been silly, you know, and—and—I don’t mean to do anything I don’t ask Miss Phronsie or Mrs. King about first.”