Mrs. Blair looked from one to the other. The girl was so plainly embarrassed, Wayne’s good humour and high spirits were so appealing, that Fanny Blair found this one of her most difficult occasions.
“I’m sure Miss Morley is quite able to manage her affairs without any help from me. Are you dining here, Wayne?”
“I’m afraid I intimated as much to Miss Morley so she would let me come with her; I promise never to tell another lie.” He bowed in mock humility but the frown on his sister’s face showed her displeasure.
“I’m going to take Miss Morley home in the motor. If you are dining here you can make yourself comfortable as usual.”
“Oh, but I really can’t stay! You’ll have to take me along. Now that I think of it, Dick expects me at the Club.”
Fanny was clearly not pleased, but he was confident of mollifying her later. The girl’s plight was a more serious matter: he had taken an unfair advantage, he had put her in a false position with his sister, and he bitterly accused himself. Fanny pointedly ignored him while they waited for the motor, and he stood by like a boy in disgrace while she talked to Miss Morley about a dozen irrelevant things. He sought to save his dignity by hastening the arrival of the motor from the garage; and when the car came and he shut them in—Fanny left him to find a seat outside.
She gave him Miss Morley’s address as though he had been the footman, and he climbed humbly to a seat beside the chauffeur. When the boarding house was reached Mrs. Blair descended and rang the bell herself, and when a slatternly maid opened the door Mrs. Blair stepped inside for a few minutes, that there might be no question of the sex of Miss Morley’s escort.
“Well?” demanded Mrs. Blair as soon as he had seated himself beside her in the tonneau.
“Why so tragic, Fanny? Paddock asked me to come and see him and his good works—I went; he insisted that I look at his kitchen and there was your girl with the adorable head dutifully wiping the dishes—a pretty picture! Paddock was going to take her and a friend into town on the trolley, but the hour was late and I took them home in my car—she and the other girl inside, poor old me decorously out in the cold. Then I went to see how much Wagner the dear people were swallowing at popular prices this afternoon; went into the balcony to look for Dick, and lo! the adorable head was just in front of me. But no, I did not let her see me; I knew she would lose faith in me if she thought I was pursuing her; I went about my business, but on my way out ran into her again. What could be more natural than that I should walk to my sister’s house with her?”
“You must have known she was going to the settlement house; it’s a little hard to accept so many coincidences. And I had asked you to let her alone.”