CHAPTER IV

Oh,ifIcouldonlyhaveahouseofmyown—eversopoor,sotiny—butmyown!Butthen,”sheaddedbitterly,“thereisnouseinyowlingforthemoonwhenyoucan’tevengetatallowcandle.” IndreamlandnothingwoulddoValancybutacastleofpalesapphire.Inreallifeshewouldhavebeenfullysatisfiedwithalittlehouseofherown.SheenviedJennieLloydmorefiercelythanevertoday.Jenniewasnotsomuchbetterlookingthanshewas,andnotsoverymuchyounger.Yetshewastohavethisdelightfulhouse.AndthenicestlittleWedgwoodteacups—Valancyhadseenthemanopenfireplace,andmonogrammedlinenhemstitchedtablecloths,andchina-closets.Whydideverythingcometosomegirlsandnothingtoothers?Itwasn’tfair. Valancywasoncemoreseethingwithrebellionasshewalkedalong,aprim,dowdylittlefigureinhershabbyraincoatandthree-year-oldhat,splashedoccasionallybythemudofapassingmotorwithitsinsultingshrieks.MotorswerestillratheranoveltyinDeerwood,thoughtheywerecommoninPortLawrence,andmostofthesummerresidentsupatMuskokahadthem.InDeerwoodonlysomeofthesmartsethadthemforevenDeerwoodwasdividedintosets.Therewasthesmartset—theintellectualset—theold-familyset—ofwhichtheStirlingsweremembers—thecommonrun,andafewpariahs.NotoneoftheStirlingclanhadasyetcondescendedtoamotor,thoughOlivewasteasingherfathertohaveone.Valancyhadneverevenbeeninamotorcar.Butshedidnothankerafterthis.Intruth,shefeltratherafraidofmotorcars,especiallyatnight.Theyseemedtobetoomuchlikebigpurringbeaststhatmightturnandcrushyou—ormakesometerriblesavageleapsomewhere.OnthesteepmountaintrailsaroundherBlueCastleonlygailycaparisonedsteedsmightproudlypaceinreallifeValancywouldhavebeenquitecontentedtodriveinabuggybehindanicehorse.Shegotabuggydriveonlywhensomeuncleorcousinrememberedtoflingher“achance,”likeabonetoadog.