“Oh, it was all nonsense, of course,” she said. “It was on account of your name, you know. You see, I used to talk a good deal about you, and he got into the way of calling you—you won’t be offended if I tell you, will you?”
“Not a bit,” promised Gretel, laughing. “What did he call me?”
“Well, I’m afraid it wasn’t a very pretty name, but then, you know, he had never seen you, and hadn’t any idea what you were like. He always spoke of you as ‘Miss Pumpernickel.’”
Gretel and Geraldine both laughed heartily, and Gretel declared Stephen might call her “Miss Pumpernickel” as often as he liked, because she was sure he didn’t mean anything unkind.
“It’s different when people say things in a disagreeable way,” she added, growing grave again.
“I know what you mean,” said Molly, understanding. “I think Ada Godfrey was perfectly disgusting the way she spoke to those girls yesterday afternoon, when we were over at her place playing tennis. It sounded as if she were apologizing for your name being German. Kitty and I both noticed it.”
“I noticed it, too,” said Geraldine, “and I felt like giving Ada a piece of my mind afterwards. I would have done it, if Gretel hadn’t begged me not to.”
“Oh, where is the use?” said Gretel, smiling a little sadly. “We can’t help it if people like to say disagreeable things, and it only makes it worse if we seem to notice. How soon is your mother going to start, Molly?”
“In about half an hour. Aunt Dulcie is coming on the Boston train that gets here at half-past five. She’s been staying with Aunt Maud in Magnolia. I’ll tell Mother you’ll be ready to go with her,” and Molly hurried away.
“You really are a very broad-minded person, Gretel,” remarked Geraldine when Molly had left the room. “Things don’t seem to make you angry, as they do other people, and you always make allowances.”