human
You see, he said, as they came to the green door in the brick wall, and went into the other garden,
gpt
Dear old house!
human
She ought to be ashamed of herself to have such an idea of Mrs. Richie. I'll tell her so--oh, Lord! what am I saying? Well, well; she was dying; she didn't know what she was talking about. ) . . .
gpt
We could pull down some partitions and make the two houses into one,
human
I want to see if my white peony is going to blossom; come over to the stone seat.
gpt
You always shut me up, he said, sulkily; and in his sulkiness he was more like himself than he had been for days. Sitting by her side on the bench under the hawthorn, he let her talk about her peony or anything else that seemed to her a safe subject; for himself, all he wanted was the comfort of looking into her comforting eyes, and telling himself that he insulted her when he even denied those poor, foolish, dying words. When a sudden soft shower drove them indoors to his library he came back with a sigh to Mrs. Maitland; but this time he was quite natural:
human
The queer part of it is, she hadn't changed her mind about David's money up to within two days of her death. She meant him to have it when she spoke to me of writing to him; and her mind was perfectly clear then; at least --he frowned;
gpt
What?
human
Nothing; she was wandering. But it was only for a minute, and except for that she was clear. When I urged her to make some provision for Blair, she was perfectly clear. Practically told me to mind my own business! Just like her,
gpt
It would have been a great deal of money, Mrs. Richie said;
human
But he knew she was disappointed; and indeed, after supper, in his library, she admitted the disappointment frankly enough.
gpt
He has changed very much; his youth is all gone. He is more silent than ever. I had thought that perhaps the building of this hospital would bring him out of himself. You see, he blames himself for the whole thing.
human
He is still bitter?
gpt
Oh, I'm afraid so. He very rarely speaks of it. But I can see that he blames himself always. I wish he would talk freely.
human
He will one of these days. He'll blurt it out and then he'll begin to get over it. Don't stop him, and don't get excited, no matter what absurd things he says. He'll be better when he has emptied his heart. I was, you know, after I talked to you and told you that I'd been--jilted.
gpt
I'm afraid it's gone too deep for that with David,
human
It couldn't go deeper than it did with me, and yet you--you taught me to forgive her. Yes, and to be glad, too; for if she hadn't thrown me over, I wouldn't have known you.
gpt
Now _stop!_
human
For a meek and mild looking person, said Robert Ferguson, twitching off his glasses,
gpt
Mr. Ferguson, be sensible. Don't talk--that way. Listen: David must see Elizabeth while he is here. This situation has got to become commonplace. I meant to go home to-morrow morning, but if you will ask us all to luncheon--
human
I won't ask Blair!
gpt
I hate obstinacy, Mrs. Richie told him, drolly.
human
Well, I am not so very anxious to see Blair myself. But I do want Elizabeth and David to meet. You see, David means to practise in Mercer--
gpt
What! Then you will come here to live? When will you come?
human
Next spring, I hope. And it is like coming home again. The promise of the hospital was a factor in his decision, but, even without it, I think he will want to settle in Mercer
gpt
I'll get the house in order for you right off! he said, beaming.
human
I suppose you'll ask for all sorts of new-fangled things! A tenant is never satisfied.
gpt
I hope it's wise for him to come, Mrs. Richie said, anxiously;
human
I confess I don't feel quite easy about it, because--Elizabeth will be here; and though, of course, nobody is going to think of how things might have been, still, it will be painful for them both just at first. That's why I want you to invite us to dinner,--the sooner they meet, the sooner things will be commonplace.
gpt
When a man has once been in love with a woman, Robert Ferguson said, putting on his glasses carefully,
human
Please don't ever hate me.
gpt
I'll never hate you and you'll never be commonplace. Dear woman--can't you?
human
Helena! he said, and there was a half-frightened violence in his voice;
gpt
No--no--no!
human
If you dislike me, say so! I think I could bear it better to believe you disliked me.
gpt
Robert, how absurd you are! You know I could never dislike you. But our--our age, and David, and--
human
Don't talk about age, and all that nonsense. Don't talk about little things, Helena, for God's sake! Oh, my dear-- he said, brokenly. He got up and went across the room to a bookcase; he stood there a moment or two with his back to her. Helena Richie, bewildered, her eyes full of tears, looked after him in dismay. But when he took his chair again, he was
gpt
enough, and when, later, David came in, he was able to talk in the most matter-of-fact way. He told the young man that evidently Mrs. Maitland had changed her mind about a hospital.
human
Of course some papers may turn up that will entitle you to your fund, but I confess I'm doubtful about it. I'm afraid she changed her mind.
gpt
Probably she did, David said, laconically;
human
Nobody knew how big she was--except me, Robert Ferguson said. Then he began to talk about her. . . . It was nearly midnight when he ended; when he did, it was with an outburst of pain and grief:
gpt
Nobody understood her. They thought because she ran an iron-works, that she wasn't--a woman. I tell you she was! I tell you her heart was a woman's heart. She didn't care about fuss and feathers, and every other kind of tomfoolery, like all the rest of you, but she was as--as modest as a girl, and as sensitive. You needn't laugh--
human
Laugh? said Helena Richie;
gpt
I am ready to cry when I think how her body misrepresented her soul!
human
Big, generous, incapable of meanness, incapable of littleness!--and now she's dead. I believe her disappointment about Blair really killed her. It cut some spring. She has never been the same woman since he--
gpt
Oh, hold on: David, won't you and your mother come in to dinner to-morrow? Luncheon, your mother calls it. She wants us to be fashionable in Mercer! Nobody here but Miss White and Elizabeth.
human
Yes, thank you; we'll come with pleasure,