URMOIL of the mind that followed in the next few days was increased by the worry of a Society engagement. To the servants' party in Eaton Square, Erb, having been formally invited, sent answer that he was busy with meetings of one sort and another, and begged, therefore, to be excused: this to his sister Louisa's great content. Arrived another post-card from Alice, saying that if this meant that he would not come unless Louisa were invited, then she supposed there was nothing to do but to ask them both; she would send a few things down by Carter Paterson the day before the party, that Louisa might adorn herself with something like distinction, and do as little harm as possible to the repute of Alice. To this, after an enthusiastic discussion (that was not a discussion, in that Louisa did all the talking), a reply was sent, stating that Louisa and himself would arrive by a series of 'buses on the night mentioned, and that Louisa begged her sister would not deprive herself of articles of attire, “me having,” said Louisa's note, “ample.” The incident had its fortunate side, insomuch that it absorbed the whole mind of the young sister, and prevented her from giving much attention to the matter of Erb's forced resignation. Lady experts called every evening at the model dwellings to give advice in regard to costume, and, in the workshop, other white-faced girls pushed aside the relation of their love affairs in order to give their minds to this subject: Louisa's current young man received stern orders not so much as dare show his face in Page's Walk for a good fortnight. It was only on the evening of the party, when Louisa, gorgeously apparelled, sat in the living-room, ready a full hour before the time for starting, and Erb in his bedroom about to start on the work of changing from a parcels carman to a private gentleman, that the short girl found leisure and opportunity to review Erb's affairs.
“And all the rest,” said Louisa severely in conclusion, “all the rest of these 'umbugs reaping the fruits of your labours, and you thrown out neck and crop. I can't think how you come to be such a idiot. You don't see me doing such silly things. What do you think your poor mother would say if she were 'ere?”
“You haven't seen the evening paper, I s'pose?” asked the voice of Erb, muffled by soap-suds.
“Evening paper!” echoed the short sister, fractiously. “Is this a time for bothering about evening papers? The question is what are you going to do next, Erb? Been round to any of the other stations?” A grunt from the bedroom intimated a negative answer. “You'll come to rack and ruin, Erb, that's what you'll come to if I don't look after you.”
“Catch hold.” A bare arm held out from the bedroom doorway a pink evening paper.
“What d'you want me to read now? I don't want to go botherin' my 'ead about murders when I'm full of this party.”
“Where my thumb is,” said Erb's voice. A damp mark guided her attention, and she read it, her lips moving silently as she went through the paragraph, her head giving its uncontrollable shake.
“I say,” cried Louisa, in an awed voice, “that's never meant for you, Erb?”
“It ain't meant for anyone else,” called Erb. “Seen anything of my stud?”
“Where did you put it last? But, just fancy, in print too. And underneath is something about royalty.” Louisa clicked her tongue amazedly. “You never said anything about it, either.”
“No use talking too much—why, here's the collar stud in the shirt all the time.—no use talking too much beforehand. Besides, it isn't what you may call definitely settled yet. Spanswick's got very strong support, and he hates me as much as he likes beer. I said something rather caustic on one occasion about his grammar.”
“I shall snip this out,” said Louisa, as Erb appeared struggling into his coat, “and I shall show it privately to everybody I come across in Eaton Square to-night.”
“I don't know that that's worth while,” he said doubtfully.
“It'll let 'em see,” said Louisa, with decision, “that they ain't everybody. When you've done trimming your cuffs with the scissors, let me have 'em.”