VIII
THE GARDEN PARTY
And so, after all, it turned out to be the very best thing that the garden
party did not take place until two days after, for all was then as sweet
and fresh as a rose--all but one thing. And that was, on the very morning
of the eventful day, Mrs. Chatterton drove up.
But then, as Jasper observed to Polly when this dire news was announced,
"Cousin Eunice was always turning up when least wanted." And Polly had, as
usual, to keep back her own thoughts on the subject, to comfort him. It
would never do to add to his dismay.
"Why she can't stay in Europe when she's everlastingly saying that there is
no place in America to compare with it, I don't, for my part, see," he
cried, in a pet.
"I suppose she wants to be with her relations, Jasper," said Polly, with a
sigh.
"Relations?"--Jasper turned suddenly on his heel and thrust his hands
deeply in his pockets--"well, she fights with every single one of them,"
he said savagely.
"Oh, Jasper--fights!" exclaimed Polly, in horror, whose great grief had
always been at having no relations, so to speak. "Dear me, how very
dreadful!"
"Well, you know she does," said Jasper gloomily, and squaring
round--"always picking and carping at something or somebody; and now Father
will be all upset by her. If she had only waited till to-morrow!"
Polly felt such a dreadful sinking of her heart just then, that for a
minute she didn't speak.
Pages:
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107