Upon this ride Margery was able to confide a piece of news she had been longing to tell Jeanette for twelve hours.
"It was quite by accident, Jeanette, I had no thought of any such consequence," she murmured impressively, as she and her companion moved slowly along beside each other, walking their horses so their conversation might not be disturbed. "I told Mrs. Perry that you wished to go East to school with me this fall. She agreed that it was a delightful idea and might be extremely good for you. Then I told her your father did not feel he could afford the expense, because of his recent business difficulties."
Although no other human beings were in sight at this moment and only a wide stretch of country about them, Margery lowered her voice still more.
"What do you think, Jeanette? Mrs. Perry said that it would give her the greatest possible pleasure to be permitted to pay your expenses. The truth is she has taken the most absurd fancy to you, such a fancy that I should think Cecil would be jealous, but to do him justice he does not appear to be in the least."
Margery leaned from her horse in order to give Jeanette's arm a gentle pressure.
"Wouldn't it be wonderful, dear, if your father would agree? Mrs. Perry is so rich and generous you need not mind, the pleasure would be greater for her than for you. I am so romantic I have even been thinking that she might want to adopt you some day and leave you a portion of her fortune. You need not laugh, Jeanette Colter, I only wish I were in your place. I have been struggling to induce Mrs. Perry to take a fancy to me for years! She is sweet and kind to me, but that is all! About you she has said several times that she would give a great deal to have you as her daughter."
Jeanette sat more erectly on her pony, her face changing color in characteristic fashion.
"I am afraid Mrs. Perry hardly realizes what she says. If she knew me better I am the last person in the world she would desire to have near her. I trust that she will not ask my own family for a certificate of character; no one of them would give it me."
Biting her lips, Jeanette was silent a moment, apparently thinking deeply.
The ranch land this afternoon appeared enchantingly lovely. The alfalfa fields were in full bloom, swimming with hosts of purple clover. The grain was ripening quickly and was now pure gold. In the waste places the desert midsummer wild-flowers were blooming, rose and white and cornflower blue.