I watched Lena sitting there so smooth and sunny and well-cared-for, and thought of how she used to run barefoot over the prairie until after the snow began to fly, and how Crazy Mary chased her round and round the cornfields. It seemed to me wonderful that she should have got on so well in the world. Certainly she had no one but herself to thank for it.
‘You must feel proud of yourself, Lena,’ I said heartily. ‘Look at me; I’ve never earned a dollar, and I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to.’
‘Tony says you’re going to be richer than Mr. Harling some day. She’s always bragging about you, you know.’
‘Tell me, how IS Tony?’
‘She’s fine. She works for Mrs. Gardener at the hotel now. She’s housekeeper. Mrs. Gardener’s health isn’t what it was, and she can’t see after everything like she used to. She has great confidence in Tony. Tony’s made it up with the Harlings, too. Little Nina is so fond of her that Mrs. Harling kind of overlooked things.’
‘Is she still going with Larry Donovan?’
‘Oh, that’s on, worse than ever! I guess they’re engaged. Tony talks about him like he was president of the railroad. Everybody laughs about it, because she was never a girl to be soft. She won’t hear a word against him. She’s so sort of innocent.’
I said I didn’t like Larry, and never would.
Lena’s face dimpled. ‘Some of us could tell her things, but it wouldn’t do any good. She’d always believe him. That’s Ántonia’s failing, you know; if she once likes people, she won’t hear anything against them.’
‘I think I’d better go home and look after Ántonia,’ I said.