"My wires are down and the trolley isn't running!"
She laughed, and it was pleasant to hear her, John thought.
"Is that the kind of things you say? They are making you out a humorist."
"There's no harder lot. Who is this enemy that's undoing me?"
"There's a certain person called Raridan. He's always telling me of the things you say."
"The villain! I merely lecture him for his good; and so he thought I was joking!"
They had reached the Porter grounds where the walk had been cleared, and they stamped the snow from their shoes on the cement pavement and walked on together. Evelyn dropped her tone of raillery, and John asked about her father. John had followed Mr. Porter's sickness through Raridan's reports, and had called at the house only a few times since the banker's seizure. They entered the gate at the foot of the hill and walked up the long slope to the door.
"Won't you come in?" she asked.
"I oughtn't to; there's work waiting for me down town."
She sent the maid who let them in for hot water, and threw down her furs in the hall while it was being brought. The tea table had been moved into the library during Mrs. Whipple's visit, and Evelyn left John to revive the fire while she went to speak to her father. Saxton had not taken off his coat, and when she came back he stood buttoning it as if he meant to leave.