"No;" but she found herself suddenly tired.
She went in with Eric presently. They had a good hot supper, and Anne was hungry. Gathered around the table were Peter and his wife, Beulah and Eric, with Peggy rounding out the half dozen. Geoffrey Fox had gone to town to get his belongings.
Anne had a vision of Richard and his mother in the big house. At their table would be lovely linen and shining silver, and some little formality of service. She felt that she belonged to people like that. She had nothing in common with Peter and his wife and with Eric Brand. Nor with Beulah.
Beulah was planning a little party for the evening. There was to have been skating, but the warmer weather and the snow had made that impossible.
"I don't know just what I'll do with them," she said; "we might have games."
"Anne knows a lot of things." This from Peggy, who was busy with her bread and milk.
Peggy slid out of her chair and bobbed for them--a most entrancing little curtsey, with all her curls flying.
"And the boys do this." She was quite stiff as she showed them how the little boys bowed.
Anne seemed to feel some need of defense. "Well, they must learn manners."
Peggy, wound up, would not be interrupted. "We dance like this," and away she went in a mad gallop.
Anne laughed. "It warms their blood when the fire won't burn. Peggy, it isn't quite as bad as that. Show them nicely."
So Peggy showed them some pretty steps, and then came back to her bread and milk.
"We might dance." Beulah's mind was on her party. "But some of them don't know how."
Anne offered no suggestions. She really might have helped if she had cared to do it. But she did not care.
When she had finished supper, Eric followed her into the hall. "You'll come down, won't you?"
"Let them go. You can always work. When you hear the fire roaring up the chimney, you will know that it is calling to you, 'Come down, come down!'"
He stood and watched her as she climbed the stairs. Then he went back and helped Beulah.
Beulah was really very pretty, and to-night her cheeks were pink as she made her little plans with him.
He gave himself pleasantly to her guidance. He moved the furniture for her into the big front room, so that there would be a space for dancing. And presently it became not a sanctum for staid Old Gentlemen, but a gathering place for youth and joy.