As to the three men and the woman, they stood silent, helpless, looking
into each other's faces with despairing eyes.
In a moment Billy was on her feet, fluttering about the room, touching
this thing, looking at that. Nothing escaped her.
"I'm to fish--and shoot--and fence!" she crowed. "And, oh!--look at
those knives! U-ugh!... And, my! what are these?" she cried, pouncing
on the Indian clubs. "And look at the spiders! Dear, dear, I AM glad
they're dead, anyhow," she shuddered with a nervous laugh that was
almost a sob.
Something in Billy's voice stirred Mrs. Hartwell to sudden action.
"Come, come, this will never do," she protested authoritatively,
motioning her brothers to leave the room. "Billy is quite tired out, and
needs rest. She mustn't talk another bit to-night."
"Of c-course not," stammered William. And only too glad of an excuse to
withdraw from a very embarrassing situation, the three men called back a
faltering good-night, and precipitately fled down-stairs.
CHAPTER IX
A FAMILY CONCLAVE
"Well, William," greeted Kate, grimly, when she came into the
drawing-room, after putting her charge to bed, "have you had enough,
now?"
"'Enough'! What do you mean?"
Kate raised her eyebrows.
"Why, surely, you're not thinking NOW that you can keep this girl here;
are you?"
"I don't know why not.
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