However, she found everything so desirable that she soon engaged Mr. Marvin in a talk that ended with her having rented a section of woodland for the summer, at a nominal price. She was to give Natalie and her friends certain lessons in scouting and take them on the hikes with the Scouts when they all studied birds, beasts, and other Nature-lore, as part of the consideration.
It was past three o'clock before the inspectors were ready to start back home. Rachel had been sitting on the door-step of the spacious kitchen for a long time before she spied them coming across the fields from the stream.
"Ef you-all 'specks to get back home in time fer dinner, we's got to get a hustle on, 's all I say!" grumbled she.
"Hoh! Rachel wants to attend Meetin' to-night, and she hates being late!" laughed Natalie teasingly.
"Mr. Marvin will get her home all right, long before we are half-way there," said Mrs. James soothingly.
"Seein's this comin' Sunday'll be my las' at chu'ch fer a hull summer, yuh can't wonder I wants to be on time at choir practice t'-night," remarked Rachel apologetically to Mr. Marvin.
"Of course not! I'll agree to have you back in the city in a jiffy! And now that I think of it, Rachel,--why should you bother to prepare dinner for us to-day? Let me take the girls out somewhere for one night, and you will have time to get to church early in order to say good-by to all your friends!"
As that was all Rachel wished,--to show the importance of herself and her family who owned such a fine country-place, and brag about it to her bosom friends,--she smiled serenely and sat down in the roadster driven by the lawyer.
The others stood and smiled, too, as they watched Mr. Marvin drive away, and then turned to get into Miss Mason's car to start back to the city.
Mrs. James sent word to the storekeeper at the Corners, directing him to hire help and send them to Green Hill Farm to clean up the house thoroughly. Also to see that a man mowed the lawns and cleaned up the barns and yards.
Then came the work of selecting the things Natalie wished to keep, and packing them ready to ship to Green Hill. The other furnishings in the apartment would not be sold until after the girl was out. Mr. Marvin said there was no need to cause her any unnecessary heartache.