IX

關燈
inksofnothingelse—ofnothingelseatall,"sherepeated,fixinghereyesonPriscillawithalookofdefiance. "Really?"saidPriscilla,verywillingtobelieveit. "Iassureyouit'swonderfulhowabsorbedheisinhisstudiesforit.HereadsChurchhistoryeverysparemoment,andhe'sgotitsocompletelyonhismindthatI'venoticedevenwhenhewhistlesit's'TheChurch'sOneFoundation.'" "Whatisthat?"inquiredPriscilla. "Mr.RobinMorrison,"announcedMrs.Pearce. Thesitting-roomatBaker'swasasmall,straightforwardplace,withnoscreens,nobigfurniture,noplantsinpots,nothingthatcouldforamomentconcealthepersonsalreadyinitfromthepersonscomingin,andRobinenteringjauntilywiththeumbrellaunderhisarmfellstraightasitwereintohismother'sangrygaze."Hullomater,youhere?"heexclaimedgenially,hisfacebroadeningwithapparentsatisfaction. "Yes,Robin,Iamhere,"shesaid,drawingherselfup. "Howdoyoudo,MissSchultz.Iseemtohavegotshownintothewrongroom.It'saMr.NeumannI'vecometoseedoesn'thelivehere?" PriscillalookedathimfromhersofaseatandwonderedwhatshehaddonethatsheshouldbescourgedinthismannerbyMorrisons. "Youknowmyson,Ibelieve?"saidMrs.Morrisoninthestiffestvoiceforthegirl'sfaceshowedneitherrecognitionnorpleasure,andthoughshewouldhavebeenangryifshehadlookedundulypleasedshewasstillangrierthatsheshouldlookindifferent. "Yes.Imethimyesterday.Didyouwantmyuncle?HisnameisNeumann.Neumann-Schultz.He'sout." "Ionlywantedtogivehimthisumbrella,"saidRobin,withaswiftglanceathismotherashedrewitfromunderhisarm.Wouldsherecognizeit?Hehadchosenoneofthemostancienttheonemostappropriate,ashethought,tothegeneralappearanceofthemanNeumann. "Whatumbrellaisthat,Robin?"askedhismothersuspiciously.Really,itwasmorethanoddthatRobin,whomshehadleftimmersedinstudy,shouldhavegotintoBaker'sFarmsoquickly.Couldhehavebeenexpected?AndhadProvidence,initscarefortherighteouscauseofmothers,broughtherherejustintimetosavehimfromthisgirl'stoils?Thegirl'sindifferencecouldnotberealandifitwasnot,hergoodactingonlybetrayedthedepthsofherexperienceandbalefulness."Whatumbrellaisthat?"askedMrs.Morrison. "It'shis,"saidRobin,throwinghisheadbackandlookingathismotherashelaiditwithelaboratecareonthetable. "Myuncle's?"saidPriscilla."Hadhelostit?Ohthankyou—hewouldhavebeendreadfullyunhappy.Sitdown."Andsheindicatedwithherheadthechairshewouldallowhimtositon. "Thewayshetellsustositdown!"thoughtMrs.Morrisonindignantly."Asthoughshewereaqueen."Aloudshesaid,"YoucouldhavesentJoyceroundwithit"—Joycebeingthatgardenerwhosebaby'sperambulatorwaswheeledbyanotherEthel—"andneednothaveinterruptedyourwork." "SoIcould,"saidRobin,asthoughmuchstruckbythesuggestion."Butitwasapleasure,"headdedtoPriscilla,"tobeabletoreturnitmyself.It'safrightfulborelosingone'sumbrella—especiallyifit'sanoldfriend." "UncleFritzi'slooksasifitwereaveryoldfriend,"saidPriscilla,smilingatit. Mrs.Morrisonglancedatittoo,andthenglancedagain.WhensheglancedathirdtimeandherglanceturnedintoalookthatlingeredRobinjumpedupandinquiredifheshouldnotputitinthepassage."It'sinthewayhere,"heexplainedthoughinwhosewayitcouldbewasnotapparent,thetablebeingperfectlyempty. Priscillamadenoobjection,andheatonceremoveditbeyondthereachofhismother'seye,proppingitupinadarkcornerofthepassageandtellingMrs.Pearce,whomhefoundtherethatitwasMr.Neumann'sumbrella. "Noitain't,"saidMrs.Pearce. "Yesitis,"saidRobin. "Noitain't.He'stookhistoMinehead,"saidMrs.Pearce. "Itis,andhehasnot,"saidRobin. "Iseehimtakeit,"saidMrs.Pearce. "Youdidnot,"saidRobin. Thiswouldhavebeenthemoment,Mrs.Morrisonfelt,forhertogoandtocarryoffRobinwithher,butshewasheldinherseatbythecertaintythatRobinwouldnotlethimselfbecarriedoffandsoonerthansaygood-byeandthenfindhewasstayingonaloneshewouldsitthereallnight.Thusdomotherssacrificethemselvesfortheirchildren,thoughtMrs.Morrison,fortheiralltoofrequentlythanklesschildren.Butthoughshewoulddoittoanyextentinordertoguardherboysheneednot,shesaidtoherself,bepleasantbesides,—sheneednot,sotospeak,betheprimrosesonhispathofdalliance.Accordinglyshebehavedaslittlelikeaprimroseaspossible,sittinginstonysilencewhileheskirmishedinthepassagewithMrs.Pearce,andtheinstanthecameinagainaskedhimwherehehadfoundtheumbrella. "Ifoundit—notfarfromthechurch,"saidRobin,desiringtobetruthfulaslongashecould."Butmater,bothertheumbrella.Itisn'tsoverynobletobringamanbackhisown.Didyougetyourcottages?"heasked,turningquicklytoPriscilla. "Robin,areyousureitishisown?"saidhismother. "Mydearmother,I'mneversureofanything.Norareyou.NorisMissSchultz.Norisanybodywhoisreallyintelligent.ButIfoundthething,andMr.Neumann—" "Thenameto-dayisNeumann-Schultz,"saidMrs.Morrison,inavoiceheavywithimplications. "Mr.Neumann-Schultz,then,hadbeenthatwayjustbefore,andsoIfeltsomehowitmustbehis." "YourUncleCoxhadonejustlikeitwhenhestayedwithuslasttime,"remarkedMrs.Morrison. "Hadhe?Isay,mater,whataneyeyoumusthaveforanumbrella.Thatmustbefiveyearsago." "Oh,heleftitbehind,andIseeitinthestandeverytimeIgothroughthehall." "No!Doyou?"saidRobin,whowashurledbythisstate