human
Oh, Mrs. Richie, what can be the matter?
gpt
Just one of Elizabeth's moods. She has gone out to walk.
human
At this time of night? It's after one o'clock!
gpt
She is probably safe and sound at the River House now.
human
I wish we had one of those new telephone things, Nannie said.
gpt
Mamma was always talking about getting one. Then Blair could let us know as soon as he gets to the hotel. Nannie was plainly scared; Mrs. Richie grave and a little cold. She had had, to her amazement, a wave of tenderness for Blair; the reaction from it came in anger at Elizabeth. Elizabeth was always making trouble!
human
Poor Blair, she said, involuntarily. At the moment she was keenly sorry for him; after all, abominable as his conduct had been, love, of a kind, had been at the root of it.
gpt
I can forgive love, Helena Richie said to herself,
human
she said aloud. It occurred to this gentle woman that nothing ever did happen to the people one felt could be spared from this world; which wicked thought made her so shocked at herself that she hardly heard Nannie's nervous chatter:
gpt
If she hasn't come home, Blair will be back here in half an hour; it takes fifteen minutes to go to the hotel and fifteen minutes to come back. If he isn't here at a quarter to two, everything is all right.
human
We'll be going up-stairs in a few minutes,