“Betsy! Betsy!” It was a cautious call which came quietly from the invisible. Betsy straightened herself and moved toward it, and the silent moment was followed by the swift entrance of Mrs. Bruce. “My dear boy!” she exclaimed, aggrieved. “I thought I heard a man’s voice. How long have you been here? Betsy, why didn’t you tell me!” The young man’s eyes were kind as he turned and came to meet the speaker, and his manner seemed very quiet in contrast to her alert, fussy personality and the froufrou of her taffetas. “Good-morning, Madama,” he said, returning her nervous embrace lightly. “I’ve asked Betsy so many questions since I broke in here, that she couldn’t in civility leave me.” [33] [33] Betsy returned to her labors, deaf to her mistress’s remarks. She knew that Mrs. Bruce had a chronic objection to her having a tête-à-tête, however short, with Irving. It was as if the widow were jealous of the twelve years’ advantage which her maid had over her; and notwithstanding Betsy’s humble position, her mistress constantly imagined that they referred, when together, to events which she had not shared, and spoke on subjects which would be dropped upon her appearance. The newcomer slipped her hand through the young man’s arm, and moved with him as he returned to the window. “Why didn’t you telegraph? How did you happen to come so soon?” “Oh, I just saw that the bank was run by a lot of egoists who supposed that they could manage it without me, just as they have for thirty years, so I thought I would make the most of this last summer of their self-satisfaction, and take all that was coming to me, before I get into the harness.” “Very wise; and I hope when you do get into harness you’ll never make such a slave of yourself as your dear father did.” “You never can tell. I rather dread my[34] own proclivities. If I should ever work as hard as I’ve played, the business world is going to be jarred when I leap into it.” [34] Mrs. Bruce hung fondly on his arm, rejoicing in the hard muscle she felt through his light sleeve.
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