“You are wrong—all of you. This afternoon Norah is a witch—she has bewitched them.”
Eveleen sneered.
“Really? What a very simple, lucid, and satisfactory explanation of these gentlemen’s wrong-headedness.”
“Audrey!” cried Lilian. “How can you talk such nonsense? Do you want to make a greater fool of her than she has been made already.”
“Lilian, your temper is such a short one; do keep hold of it. I’m not holding a brief for Norah; but if you come here and look at her eyes, and realise the intangible something which is in the atmosphere which surrounds her, you’ll catch my meaning—for you’re almost as good a judge of that sort of thing as I am!”
But Lilian was not to be persuaded.
“Mamma,” she exclaimed, “why do you allow Audrey to back up those wretched men in their attempts to turn poor Norah’s naturally silly head? Do you consider that their behaviour this afternoon has been creditable either to themselves, or to us, or to you? We are your daughters. Can you not insist on our being treated, at any rate while we are in your house, with at least the elements of common respect?”
Mamma assumed what she meant to be her most dignified air. Her remarks were intended to be both judicial and crushing.
“Lilian, you forget yourself, and me. I have hitherto shown myself capable of watching over my daughters, so far as they have permitted me to do so. Unfortunately, in some directions, the young women of the present day are in advance of their parents. Audrey, I must request you not to make foolish remarks to Norah, who has already been placed in a sufficiently ridiculous position. Norah, I will not comment at this moment on the extremely singular manner in which you have deemed it proper to behave. I find it difficult to credit that I have been witnessing the conduct of a child of my own. But on that subject I shall have plenty to say later; of that you may be sure. In the meantime you will be so good as to understand that I positively forbid you ever to speak to either of these gentlemen again, or to remain, under any circumstances, in a room in which they are. Now you will please to leave this room, and retire to your own.”
She moved on one side, as if she expected me to march right past her then and there. But I didn’t. I put first Mr Carter’s and then Mr Purchase’s roses to my nose, and kept on smiling.