“Funny now, wasn’t it?” The little woman smiled happily. “And that I should just happen to tell it to you, and you knew those people? Well,” she sighed, “even if we ain’t come to no conclusion about Theophilus, maybe we’ve helped somebody. And here’s Mr. Pix”—then, as another man appeared beside Pix on the stairs—“my dear! is that your husband?” she asked wonderingly.
“Yes,” Farleigh rose to meet them, “why?”
“Because he—my dear, I wouldn’t worry one mite,” the little woman with the tan gloves patted the black sleeve cut by Paquin, reassuringly, “don’t you fret, my dear, one minute. That man could be a member of the Sons of Adam an’ the Kindlin’ Wood Knights an’ any other forty-seven ’leven Clubs he was a mind to. He’s a man, my dear. And (as she saw him smile at Farleigh, coming toward her) he loves you. You’re a very lucky woman.”
“Mrs. Budd, this is my husband, Mr. Chalmers,” Farleigh made the introduction rather unsteadily. “I want you to know each other.”
“Indeed, and I’m proud to, Mr. Chalmers,” the little woman beamed; while Farleigh turned to Pix, but not exclusively. “Mrs. Chalmers an’ I have just been having the most interestin’ time, talkin’ about the Spanish Cat—oh I—I beg your pardon”—she grew frantically pink—“I forgot again, they was friends of yours, and besides I don’t know her real name. I——”
“Mrs. Budd has been telling me how to manage the Spanish Cat, Kent,” said Farleigh very quietly. Pix stared at the window as though he meant to jump out of it. “She says that to—to manage her would be the biggest job of my life, and——”
“Oh, not exactly to manage her, Mrs. Chalmers,” put in the little woman uneasily, “to bring her ’n’ her husband together’s what I mean. You see,” she turned to Chalmers, “I think her husband must be part wrong, too.”
“I think he must,” said Kent, looking into Farleigh’s eyes; “I’m sure he is.”
“But what about the case of Budd?” broke in Pix, renouncing the window.
“Oh, we didn’t get ’s far ’s him,” said Mrs. Budd resignedly; “we’ll take up Theophilus at the next meetin’, won’t we, Mrs. Chalmers?”