He mounted to his buggy, and drove thoughtfully away at a walk.
The ladies, whose excited sympathies for Mrs. Maynard had kept them from the beach till now, watched him quite out of sight before they began to talk of Grace.
“I hope Dr. Breen’s new patient will be more tractable,” said Mrs. Merritt. “It would be a pity if she had to give him up, too, to Dr. Mulbridge.”
Mrs. Scott failed of the point. “Why, is Mr. Libby sick?”
“Not very,” answered Mrs. Merritt, with a titter of self-applause.
“I should be sorry,” interposed Mrs. Alger authoritatively, “if we had said anything to influence the poor thing in what she has done.”
“Oh, I don’t think we need distress ourselves about undue influence!” Mrs. Merritt exclaimed.
Mrs. Alger chose to ignore the suggestion. “She had a very difficult part; and I think she has acted courageously. I always feel sorry for girls who attempt anything of that kind. It’s a fearful ordeal.”
“But they say Miss Breen wasn’t obliged to do it for a living,” Mrs. Scott suggested.
“So much the worse,” said Mrs. Merritt.