XIII
The next morning the natural buoyancy of youth asserted itself; shereasoned that a long hard apprenticeship had been the lot of manyauthors, and determined that she would write a page a day for years, ifneed be, until her tardy faculty had been coaxed from its hard soil andtrained to use.
She could not go to the woods that day: her mother expected callers.
"Your birthday is a week from Wednesday," Mrs. Yorba said as they sat onthe verandah. "Your father and I have decided to give a dinner. You willnot come out formally, of course, until winter; but a little societyduring the summer will take off the stiffness."
Magdalena turned cold. "But, mamma! I cannot talk to young men."
"You expect to begin sometime, do you not? I shall also take you to anylittle entertainment that is given in Menlo this summer; and as theBrannans and Montgomerys are back from Europe,--they arrived lastThursday,--there may be several. The older girls gave little partiesbefore they married; but there have not been any grown girls in Menlofor some years now. Rose Geary and Caro Folsom, who spent last summer inthe East, will spend this in Menlo, so that there will be five of you,besides Nelly Washington."
Magdalena knew that the matter was settled. She had given a good deal ofimagination to the time when she should be a young lady, but theimmediate prospect filled her with dismay. Then, out of the knowledgethat her lines had been chosen for her, she adapted herself, as mortalsdo, and experienced some of the pleasures of anticipation.
"I believe I did not tell you," her mother resumed, "that I wrote toHelena some time ago asking her to bring back four dresses for you,--aball dress for your debut, an English walking suit, a calling dress, anda dinner dress."
Magdalena had never given a thought to dress; but this suddenannouncement that she was to have four gowns from Paris and Londonpricked her with an intimation that the interests of life were morevaried than she had suspected. She wondered vividly what they would belike, and recalled several of Nelly Washington's notable gowns.
"You are to have forty dollars a month after your birthday, and yourfather will permit me to get you three dresses a year; everything elsemust come out of your allowance. You will keep an account-book and showit to your father every month, as I do. Oh--and there is another thing:a Mr. Trennahan of New York has brought letters to your father. He is aman of some importance,--is wealthy and has been Secretary of Legationtwice, and comes of a distinguished family; we must do something forhim, and have decided to ask him down to your dinner. That will kill twobirds with one stone. He can also stay a day or two, and we will showhim the different places."
"A strange man in the house for two days," gasped Magdalena, forgettingthat she was to have forty dollars a month.
"He can take care of himself most of the time. Here come Nelly."
Mrs. Washington's ponies were rounding the deer park. Magdalena cranedher neck.
"She has some one with her," she said. And in another half-moment: "TinyMontgomery and Ila Brannan."
Magdalena clasped her hands tightly to keep them from trembling. Whatwould they think of her? She saw that they were smartly dressed.Doubtless they were very grand and clever indeed, and would think hermore trying than ever. But although all her shyness threatened for amoment, it was summarily routed by her Spanish pride.
She rose as the phaeton drew up, and went to the head of the steps,smiling. They might find her uninteresting, but not _gauche_.
The girls came gracefully forward and kissed her warmly.
"_Dear_ 'Lena," said Miss Montgomery. "We wouldn't wait: we wanted somuch to see you again. And besides, you know," with a mischievous smile,"we owe you a great many luncheon calls."
Miss Brannan exclaimed almost simultaneously, "How you have improved,'Lena! I should never have known you." And if her tone was conventional,it fell upon ears untuned to conventions.
It was Magdalena's first compliment, and she thrilled with pleasure. "Myface looks very much the same in the glass," she said. "But I am glad tosee you back. Let us sit on this side."
She led the girls a little distance down the verandah; she was tremblinginwardly, but felt that she should get along better if relieved of hermother's ear. Tiny began at once to talk of her delight in being homeagain, and Magdalena had time to recover herself.
Tiny Montgomery was an exquisitely pretty little creature, very smallbut admirably proportioned, although thin. Her brown eyes were verysweet under well-pencilled brows, her nose aquiline and fine. The mouthwas barely rubbed in, but the teeth were beautiful, the smile as sweetas the eyes. She had the smallest feet and hands in California, andto-day they were clad in white _suede_ with no detriment to their fame.She wore a frock of white embroidered nainsook and a leghorn coveredwith white feathers. She talked rather slowly, in language carefullychosen, although plentifully laden with superlatives. Her voice was verysweet, and highly cultivated.
Ila Brannan was taller, with a slender full figure, and very smart. Shewore a closely fitting frock of tan-coloured cloth, a small toque, and aveil covered with large velvet dots. She was very olive, and her cheekswere deeply coloured. Her black eyes had a slanting expression. Young asshe was, there was a vague suggestion of maturity about her. She smiledpleasantly and echoed Tiny's little enthusiasms, which had an air ofelaborate rehearsal, but she seemed to have brought something of Pariswith her, and to adapt herself but ill to her old surroundings.Magdalena did not feel at ease with either of them, but concluded thatshe liked Tiny best.
"Tell me something of Helena," she said finally. "Of course you saw herin Paris."
"Oh, constantly," replied Tiny. "She's perfectly beautiful, 'Lena,_perfectly_. Mamma took her with us one night to the opera, and so manypeople asked her who the beautiful American was. She has grown _quite_tall, and is wonderfully stylish. Colonel Belmont has simply showeredmoney on her since he went over, and she will have beautiful clothes,and cut us _all_ out when she comes back." But Tiny did not look in theleast disturbed, and peeped surreptitiously into the polished glass ofthe window.
"She'll have all the men wild about her," announced Ila; she spoke witha slight French accent, which was not affected, as she had spent thegreater part of the last five years in Paris. "And she is going to be avery dashing belle. She informed me that she shall run to fires and dowhatever she chooses, and make people like it whether they want to ornot. But I doubt if she will ever be fast."
"Fast!" echoed Magdalena, a street of painted women flashing intomemory; she knew of no degrees. "Helena! How can you think of such athing in connection with her!"
Ila laughed softly. "You baby!" she said.
Tiny frowned. "You know, Ila," she said coldly, "that I do not like totalk of such things."
"Well, you need not," said Ila, coolly.
Tiny lifted her brows. "I think you know you cannot talk to me of what Ido not wish to hear," she said with great dignity.
Magdalena turned to her, the warm light of approval in her eyes; andIla, unabashed, rose and said, "I think I'll go over and talk scandalfor awhile," and joined the older women, whose numbers had beenreinforced.
Magdalena longed to ask Tiny if she really had improved, but was tooshy. Tiny said almost directly,--
"You look _so_ intellectual, 'Lena. Are you? I feel quite afraid."
"Oh, no, no!" replied Magdalena, hastily, "I really know very little; Iwish I knew more." She hesitated a moment; it was difficult for her toexpand even to the playmate of her childhood, but an alluring prospecthad suddenly opened. "Of course you will have a great deal of leisurethis summer," she added. "Shall we read together?"
Tiny rose with a sweet but rather forced smile. "I am not going to letyou see how ignorant I am," she said. "But I feel very rude: I should goover and talk to Mrs. Yorba."
When they had gone, Magdalena sat for a time staring straight beforeher, unheeding her mother's comments. The snub had been prettilyadministered, but it had cut deep into her sensitiveness. She realisedthat she was quite unlike these other girls of
her own age, had neverbeen like them; it was not Europe that had made the difference. "I wouldnot care," she thought, "if they would keep away from me altogether. Ihave what I care much more for. But I must see them nearly every day andtry to interest them. And I know they will find me as dull as when Igave those dreadful luncheons."
She was recalled by a direct observation of her mother's.
"Your washed cross-barred muslin looked very plain beside their Frenchthings, but I do not think it worth while to get you any new clothes atpresent. But do not let it worry you. Remember that what _we_ do seemsright to every one. We can afford to dress exactly as we choose."
"It does not worry me," replied Magdalena.