"She isn’t scrambling, that I know of. She doesn’t need to. She’ll get the Fair all right. Any one can see with half an eye that Chicago is the only place for it,—the foreordained place."
Page laughed quietly and skeptically, and there followed one of the arguments of which every American citizen knows the pros and cons.
That night Miss Berry put her unexpected guests into two bedrooms which communicated. When her last good wishes for their comfort had been expressed and good-nights said, the two men looked at each other as they listened to her retreating footsteps.
"Of course," said Page, "if the explanation you gave me downstairs is all you care to say, I’m satisfied."
The brightness had faded from Van Tassel’s face. He looked moody and worn.
"No, I meant to tell you, of course," he answered, seating himself on the side of the bed. "I found when I reached home that father had assumed charge of an orphan asylum, and I thought I should be better off out of the way."
"Exactly what I say. He is going to marry the eldest member, in order to facilitate matters."
"Uncle Richard is going to marry again, and you have quarreled with him?"
Jack shook his head quickly. "I don’t quarrel with father," he replied briefly.
Page sat down in a blue chintz armchair by the window and pushed open the blind; then recollecting that one of Aunt Love’s last warnings had been not to do so on account of mosquitoes, he closed it again.
"Uncle Richard has been a widower for fifteen years," he said. "He is scarcely over fifty years old. Aren’t you unreasonable to resent his marrying?"
Van Tassel, his sombre eyes fixed on the palm-leaves in the ingrain carpet, emitted an inarticulate sound.
"What more appropriate," continued his cousin, "than that he should select a widow, even supposing she has children. He has plenty of money. I can see how it would make you feel sore and change your home feeling at first; but Uncle Richard has such a level head, you may be certain that the lady is such a one as you will like after a time."
Jack gave a short, unmirthful laugh. "The lady hasn’t any children. What a pity you can’t see her! She is a little girl who went to school with me at home; and she has an invalid mother, some younger sisters, and a brother on her hands."