The young ladies, however, were all present, and looking very bright and cheerful as they bade Edith good-morning. Alice’s hair had gone down a story or two, and was arranged as nearly as possible like Mrs. Schuyler’s. Indeed, Miss Alice had risen a full hour earlier than her usual custom in order to try her talent for hair-dressing, and had succeeded so well that Godfrey, for whom the sacrifice was made, called her a nice little puss after all, and tolerably good-looking, too. And Alice felt complimented and thought Godfrey very handsome, and buttered his cakes for him and seemed altogether like a woman of twenty-five, who had been engaged for years.
“Well, girls, what are you going to do to pass the time between this and dinner?” Godfrey asked, as he rose from the table.
“I must go and see about the sewing I gave to Rogers, and you can go too and see your beauty if you like,” Alice said, and with a comical look Godfrey repeated:
“Rogers,—Rogers? Who is he?”
“Why, your tenant,—the woman who lives in your cottage. She is doing some work for me,” Alice replied, and Godfrey rejoined:
“Oh, oui, je vous comprends. It’s the height of good breeding to call your inferiors by their last names; so then, Creighton, let’s go and see Rogers!” and with a tremendous shake of his pants, Godfrey took his soft hat and bamboo cane from the hall rack, and started with Alice for the cottage.
It was Saturday, and as there was no school, Gertie was working in the garden with a big sun-hat tied under her chin, her hair falling down her back, her cheeks very red and her hands very much soiled with dirt. It was a bother to wear gloves, she thought, and she was tugging away at a tuft of pinks when she heard the gate, and looking up saw Alice and Godfrey coming up the walk. Quickly dropping her pinks she went forward to meet them, her eyes shining like stars as she said to Godfrey:
“Oh, Mr. Godfrey, I am so glad to see you. I did not know you had come. Excuse me from shaking hands. I can’t, you see;” and she held up her little soiled hands which looked white and pretty even with the dirt upon them.
“Upon my word, I never saw such assurance. Why, she acts as if she was fully his equal,” Alice thought, as with great dignity she asked:
“Is your mother in? I came to see her about the work I sent her last night.”