"Mrs.--er--Davis," he began, going straight to the point like a business man, "I am informed that you are regularly married. It might be possible to have such a marriage as you have chosen to make set aside on the ground that you are a minor--still a ward of an American court--and misrepresented your age to the consular officer."
Adelle opened her gray eyes in consternation. Were they, after all, thinking of taking Archie from her? But she was reassured by the trust officer's next words.
"Your guardians, however, will in all likelihood not take any such steps--I shall not recommend it. Although you yet lack eighteen months of being legally of age, and of course ought not to have married without our consent, nevertheless you are of an age when many young women assume the responsibilities of marriage. The facts being what they are,"--he paused to look around disgustedly at the evidences of the picnicking _mênage_,--"I see no use in our interfering now in this unfortunate affair."
Adelle's pale face brightened. He was a good old sort, she thought, and wasn't going to make trouble, after all,--merely lecture them a bit, and she composed her face properly to receive his scolding. It came, but it was not very bad, at least Adelle did not feel its sting.
"It is also needless for me to pain you," he began, "by telling you what I--what every mature person--must think of your rash step. Its consequences upon your own future life will probably manifest themselves only too soon. For a young girl like you, carefully brought up under the best educational influences, and still in the charge of a--er--companion,--" Adelle smiled demurely at Mr. Smith's difficulty in finding the right word to describe Pussy Comstock,--"to deceive the kind watchfulness, the confidence reposed in you, and carry on clandestine relations"--What's that? thought Adelle--"with the first young fellow who presents himself, indicates a serious lack on your part of something that every woman should have to--er--to cope with life successfully," he concluded, letting her down at the end softly.
This long sentence, by the way, was an interesting composite of several "forms" that Mr. Smith used frequently on different occasions. It did not impress Adelle as it should. She felt, as a matter of fact, that in deceiving Pussy, she had merely pitted her feeble will and intelligence against a much stronger one of an experienced woman, who was none too scrupulous in her own methods. Also that in acting as she had in running away with Archie, she had displayed the first real gleam of character in her whole life. But she could not put these things into words. So she let Mr. Smith continue without protest, which was the best way.