He had an awful longing to find out from Corey how he ought to go.He formulated and repeated over to himself an apparently careless question, such as, "Oh, by the way, Corey, where do you get your gloves?" This would naturally lead to some talk on the subject, which would, if properly managed, clear up the whole trouble.But Lapham found that he would rather die than ask this question, or any question that would bring up the dinner again.
Corey did not recur to it, and Lapham avoided the matter with positive fierceness.He shunned talking with Corey at all, and suffered in grim silence.
One night, before they fell asleep, his wife said to him, "I was reading in one of those books to-day, and I don't believe but what we've made a mistake if Pen holds out that she won't go.""Why?" demanded Lapham, in the dismay which beset him at every fresh recurrence to the subject.
"The book says that it's very impolite not to answer a dinner invitation promptly.Well, we've done that all right,--at first I didn't know but what we had been a little too quick, may be,--but then it says if you're not going, that it's the height of rudeness not to let them know at once, so that they can fill your place at the table."The Colonel was silent for a while."Well, I'm dumned,"he said finally, "if there seems to be any end to this thing.
If it was to do over again, I'd say no for all of us.""I've wished a hundred times they hadn't asked us;but it's too late to think about that now.The question is, what are we going to do about Penelope?""Oh, I guess she'll go, at the last moment.""She says she won't.She took a prejudice against Mrs.Corey that day, and she can't seem to get over it.""Well, then, hadn't you better write in the morning, as soon as you're up, that she ain't coming?"Mrs.Lapham sighed helplessly."I shouldn't know how to get it in.It's so late now; I don't see how I could have the face.""Well, then, she's got to go, that's all.""She's set she won't."
"And I'm set she shall," said Lapham with the loud obstinacy of a man whose women always have their way.
Mrs.Lapham was not supported by the sturdiness of his proclamation.
But she did not know how to do what she knew she ought to do about Penelope, and she let matters drift.
After all, the child had a right to stay at home if she did not wish to go.That was what Mrs.Lapham felt, and what she said to her husband next morning, bidding him let Penelope alone, unless she chose herself to go.
She said it was too late now to do anything, and she must make the best excuse she could when she saw Mrs.Corey.
She began to wish that Irene and her father would go and excuse her too.She could not help saying this, and then she and Lapham had some unpleasant words.
"Look here!" he cried."Who wanted to go in for these people in the first place? Didn't you come home full of 'em last year, and want me to sell out here and move somewheres else because it didn't seem to suit 'em? And now you want to put it all on me! I ain't going to stand it.""Hush!" said his wife."Do you want to raise the house? Ididn't put it on you, as you say.You took it on yourself.
Ever since that fellow happened to come into the new house that day, you've been perfectly crazy to get in with them.
And now you're so afraid you shall do something wrong before 'em, you don't hardly dare to say your life's your own.
I declare, if you pester me any more about those gloves, Silas Lapham, I won't go.""Do you suppose I want to go on my own account?"he demanded furiously.
"No," she admitted."Of course I don't.I know very well that you're doing it for Irene; but, for goodness gracious' sake, don't worry our lives out, and make yourself a perfect laughing-stock before the children."With this modified concession from her, the quarrel closed in sullen silence on Lapham's part.The night before the dinner came, and the question of his gloves was still unsettled, and in a fair way to remain so.
He had bought a pair, so as to be on the safe side, perspiring in company with the young lady who sold them, and who helped him try them on at the shop; his nails were still full of the powder which she had plentifully peppered into them in order to overcome the resistance of his blunt fingers.But he was uncertain whether he should wear them.They had found a book at last that said the ladies removed their gloves on sitting down at table, but it said nothing about gentlemen's gloves.He left his wife where she stood half hook-and-eyed at her glass in her new dress, and went down to his own den beyond the parlour.
Before he shut his door ho caught a glimpse of Irene trailing up and down before the long mirror in HER new dress, followed by the seamstress on her knees; the woman had her mouth full of pins, and from time to time she made Irene stop till she could put one of the pins into her train;Penelope sat in a corner criticising and counselling.
It made Lapham sick, and he despised himself and all his brood for the trouble they were taking.But another glance gave him a sight of the young girl's face in the mirror, beautiful and radiant with happiness, and his heart melted again with paternal tenderness and pride.
It was going to be a great pleasure to Irene, and Lapham felt that she was bound to cut out anything there.
He was vexed with Penelope that she was not going too;he would have liked to have those people hear her talk.
He held his door a little open, and listened to the things she was "getting off" there to Irene.He showed that he felt really hurt and disappointed about Penelope, and the girl's mother made her console him the next evening before they all drove away without her."You try to look on the bright side of it, father.I guess you'll see that it's best I didn't go when you get there.Irene needn't open her lips, and they can all see how pretty she is;but they wouldn't know how smart I was unless I talked, and maybe then they wouldn't."This thrust at her father's simple vanity in her made him laugh; and then they drove away, and Penelope shut the door, and went upstairs with her lips firmly shutting in a sob.
