"All right; here we go, then." And the big car rolled down the driveway.
"I hesitated about going," Patty demurred, "for it's Winnie's Sunday out, and I had to leave baby with Janet. I've never done it before."
"Oh, well," Betty laughed, "she'll probably sleep till you get back. Don't babies always sleep all the afternoon?"
"Not always, but Fleurette often does. Oh, of course, she'll be all right"
"And Azalea isn't there," she added, in a low tone to her husband.
And indeed, just then, Azalea was far away from there.
She and Phil had gone for the sort of walk they both loved,--along woodland paths, cross-lots, now and then back on the highroad, and if they got too far to walk back, prepared to return by train or trolley.
The two were congenial spirits, which fact had rather surprised Van Reypen's friends. For he was a conservative, fastidious aristocrat, and though Azalea's rough edges had been rubbed down a bit by Patty's training, she was still of a very different type from the Van Reypen stock.
But they both loved the open, and they strode along, chatting or silent as fitted their mood.
"What's in your mind just now, Brownie?" he asked, as Azalea looked thoughtful.
"Why,--a queer sort of a notion. Did you ever have a premonition,--a sort of feeling that you ought to do something--"
"Yes; a presentiment that unless you do what you're told to do, there'll be trouble--"
"That's just it. Nobody,--except a--oh, a mysterious force, a--just an impulse, you know."
"Well, it's this. Just before we turned that last corner a motor passed us, you know."
"Yes, I saw it. One of Farnsworth's,--with some of the servants in it."
"It was. Patty gives them rides in turn. Now, Winnie the nurse was in, and so it must be her Sunday out. And, of course, Patty is home there with the baby,--she never leaves her if Winnie's away, but still--I feel as if I must go home to look after that child!"
"Is that all? Let's go, then. We can walk back as well as to go on."
"But,--don't laugh, now,--I feel we ought to hurry. Let's take the trolley-car,--it isn't far to the line."
"You sure have got a hunch! But your will is my law. Wish we were near a garage,--I'm not a bit fond of Sunday trolley riding!"
"I'm not either,--but, Phil, you're awful good not to laugh at me."