“Certainly, mother,” said Grace. “That’s the only way to look at it. Ethel doesn’t mean to trouble you. She’ll come round all right.”
Ethel failed to confirm this sanguine prediction. She continued to sulk and when her mother proposed plans for assisting Roy when he finished at the law school she contributed to the discussion only the direst predictions of disaster.
“We all have a lot to be thankful for,” Mrs. Durland insisted. “It’s a blessing your father’s going to be in a position to help Roy. The first year will be the hardest for the boy, but after that he ought to be able to stand on his own feet. I’ve about decided that it would be better for him to open an office for himself right away and not go in with any one else. The more independent he feels the better. We must see what we can do about that.”
“I think we’d better talk it all over with John Moore before we decide about anything,” Grace suggested. “He knows all about Roy and certainly has shown himself a good friend.”
“John Moore!” sniffed Ethel, who had not forgiven John for meddling in Roy’s affairs.
“I hope you love yourself, Ethel; you certainly don’t love anybody else.” Grace remarked, and added, “Oh, yes, there’s Osgood! I forgot that you’re concentrating your affections on him.”
“I’m not afraid to see him at home; that’s more than you do with the men you run around with!”
“Oh, I wouldn’t dare introduce my friends to you; you might vamp them away from me!”
“Now girls——!”
Mrs. Durland sighed heavily; Mr. Durland, intent upon some computations he was making at the living room table, stirred uneasily. Grace had not been unmindful of the fact that after his first fortnight at Kemp’s the elation with which he had undertaken his new labors had passed. He was now constructing an engine embodying his improvements on the Cummings-Durland motor and came home at night haggard and preoccupied. He seemed to resent inquiries as to his progress and after the first week Mrs. Durland, on a hint from Grace, ceased troubling him with questions. Grace herself was wondering whether, after all, the ideas that had attracted Trenton’s attention in her father’s patent claims might not fail to realize what was hoped of them. But her faith in Trenton’s judgment was boundless; with his long experience it was hardly possible that he could be deceived or that he would encourage expectations that might not be realized by the most exacting tests.