"They did not tell me--in fact I was not
prepared--May I ask you not to mention my mistake to the girls?
Constance, as you doubtless have discovered, is very silly, given to
making great capital out of nothing. We will not mention it."
"Ah!" said the Doctor in the doorway with his arms full of books. "How
are you, my dear? How are you, Mr. Gooch? What is this conspiracy of
silence?"
"It is only against the girls," laughed Miss Lady. "We'll take him in,
won't we, Mr. Gooch?"
The Doctor listened with tolerant amusement as Miss Lady gave a
dramatic account of the double mistake, but Mr. Gooch failed to smile.
All through supper that evening Miss Lady tried in vain to propitiate
the guest. His manner showed only too plainly that he regarded her as
an intrusion in the family which he had seen fit to adopt. It was not
until the pudding arrived that his mood mellowed. Myrtella's cooking
was so eminently to his taste that he was willing to put up with a
great deal for the privilege of enjoying it. Moreover, laughter always
improved his digestion and the young person at the head of the table
was proving amusing.
"Mr. Gooch is waiting for more coffee," announced Hattie, interrupting
an animated account Miss Lady was giving of her first day at the
country school.
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