The Romance Of Aunt Beatrice
by
Margaret always maintains that it was a direct inspiration of Providence that took her across the street to see Aunt Beatrice that night. And Aunt Beatrice believes that it was too. But the truth of the matter is that Margaret was feeling very unhappy, and went over to talk to Aunt Beatrice as the only alternative to a fit of crying. Margaret’s unhappiness has nothing further to do with this story, so it may be dismissed with the remark that it did not amount to much, in spite of Margaret’s tragical attitude, and was dissipated at once and forever by the arrival of a certain missent letter the next day.
Aunt Beatrice was alone. Her brother and his wife had gone to the “at home” which Mrs. Cunningham was giving that night in honour of the Honourable John Reynolds, M.P. The children were upstairs in bed, and Aunt Beatrice was darning their stockings, a big basketful of which loomed up aggressively on the table beside her. Or, to speak more correctly, she had been darning them. Just when Margaret was sliding across the icy street Aunt Beatrice was bent forward in her chair, her hands over her face, while soft, shrinking little sobs shook her from head to foot.
When Margaret’s imperative knock came at the front door, Aunt Beatrice started guiltily and wished earnestly that she had waited until she went to bed before crying, if cry she must. She knew Margaret’s knock, and she did not want her gay young niece, of all people in the world, to suspect the fact or the cause of her tears.
“I hope she won’t notice my eyes,” she thought, as she hastily plumped a big ugly dark-green shade, with an almond-eyed oriental leering from it, over the lamp, before going out to let Margaret in.
Margaret did not notice at first. She was too deeply absorbed in her own troubles to think that anyone else in the world could be miserable too. She curled up in the deep easy-chair by the fire, and clasped her hands behind her curly head with a sigh of physical comfort and mental unhappiness, while Aunt Beatrice, warily sitting with her back to the light, took up her work again.
“You didn’t go to Mrs. Cunningham’s ‘at home,’ Auntie,” said Margaret lazily, feeling that she must make some conversation to justify her appearance. “You were invited, weren’t you?”
Aunt Beatrice nodded. The hole she was darning in the knee of Willie Hayden’s stocking must be done very carefully. Mrs. George Hayden was particular about such matters. Perhaps this was why Aunt Beatrice did not speak.
“Why didn’t you go?” asked Margaret absently, wondering why there had been no letter for her that morning–and this was the third day too! Could Gilbert be ill? Or was he flirting with some other girl and forgetting her? Margaret swallowed a big lump in her throat, and resolved that she would go home next week–no, she wouldn’t, either–if he was as hateful and fickle as that–what was Aunt Beatrice saying?
“Well, I’m–I’m not used to going to parties now, my dear. And the truth is I have no dress fit to wear. At least Bella said so, because the party was to be a very fashionable affair. She said my old grey silk wouldn’t do at all. Of course she knows. She had to have a new dress for it, and, we couldn’t both have that. George couldn’t afford it these hard times. And, as Bella said, it would be very foolish of me to get an expensive dress that would be no use to me afterward. But it doesn’t matter. And, of course, somebody had to stay with the children.”
“Of course,” assented Margaret dreamily. Mrs. Cunningham’s “at home” was of no particular interest. The guests were all middle-aged people whom the M.P. had known in his boyhood and Margaret, in her presumptuous youth, thought it would be a very prosy affair, although it had made quite a sensation in quiet little Murraybridge, where people still called an “at home” a party plain and simple.