And Emily, sitting there enjoying her juicy sweet cherries thoroughly, found some pleasure in the situation. At least, it had its elements of satisfaction in it, even though the growing—what should she call it?—misunderstanding between Martha and Bob made her sigh, often. For twenty years she had been annoyed, inwardly and ineffectively, by Bob's choice of expletives. And this chit of a child, by her occasional use of them that made her father shudder, kept him free from them for weeks together. If in her childhood he had ignored her, at least undervalued her, he was getting well paid for it just at present.
"Just as if I hadn't said a word to her! 'Send up the car at three,' she says, just like that, as if it was her car. You'd think the only reason a father existed was to keep a car in repair for her."
"Well, that is one reason for them existing. Besides, she did say she was sorry. She said it two or three times. She promised not to do it again. I'm never afraid when she's driving, Bob. She never seems to me to lose her head."
"Oh no. Of course not. She's mighty careful to keep you on her side. She wouldn't——"
"On her side, old silly," Emily said, soothingly. "You talk as if there was some quarrel between you two. You know very well that if there was I'd never let her know I was, for a second. She's worked like a Trojan for to-night. I didn't see how I could possibly get over to Elgin this afternoon. And she offered to drive me over."
"Never you mind about that! She'll not miss anything. She'll go shopping while you call, if she can find anything worth buying. Or else she's made a date to meet somebody. I bet three minutes after she leaves you there, she'll have some young idiot making eyes at her in that car. I'll bet you a dollar she's 'phoned some of them she's coming over."
"Well, suppose she has, Bob. What do you expect of a girl? Do you want her to sit in the car with her eyes shut till I'm ready to come home? Why shouldn't she call up her friends?"
"Oh, I know it, Emily. But it's the principle of the thing. They're such a lazy bunch. They never do a thing but spend money and dance. That's what Fielding was saying to me."
Emily giggled perversely—effectively.
"Oh, well; have it your own way. They're all angels, if you say they are. I never interfere with them. Give them enough rope and they'll all hang themselves."