He's fearfully restless; he's very much out of health.Mother and Isaid to him that if he was restless in Paris he needn't hope for peace anywhere.We don't mean to leave him alone till he takes us back." There was an air of keen resolution in Miss Ruck's pretty face, of lucid apprehension of desirable ends, which made me, as she pronounced these words, direct a glance of covert compassion toward her poor recalcitrant father.He had walked away a little with his wife, and I saw only his back and his stooping, patient-looking shoulders, whose air of acute resignation was thrown into relief by the voluminous tranquillity of Mrs.Ruck."He will have to take us back in September, any way," the young girl pursued; "he will have to take us back to get some things we have ordered.""Have you ordered a great many things?" I asked jocosely.
"Well, I guess we have ordered SOME.Of course we wanted to take advantage of being in Paris--ladies always do.We have left the principal things till we go back.Of course that is the principal interest, for ladies.Mother said she should feel so shabby if she just passed through.We have promised all the people to be back in September, and I never broke a promise yet.So Mr.Ruck has got to make his plans accordingly.""And what are his plans?"
"I don't know; he doesn't seem able to make any.His great idea was to get to Geneva; but now that he has got here he doesn't seem to care.It's the effect of ill health.He used to be so bright; but now he is quite subdued.It's about time he should improve, any way.
We went out last night to look at the jewellers' windows--in that street behind the hotel.I had always heard of those jewellers'
windows.We saw some lovely things, but it didn't seem to rouse father.He'll get tired of Geneva sooner than he did of Paris.""Ah," said I, "there are finer things here than the jewellers'
windows.We are very near some of the most beautiful scenery in Europe.""I suppose you mean the mountains.Well, we have seen plenty of mountains at home.We used to go to the mountains every summer.We are familiar enough with the mountains.Aren't we, mother?" the young lady demanded, appealing to Mrs.Ruck, who, with her husband, had drawn near again.
"Aren't we what?" inquired the elder lady.
"Aren't we familiar with the mountains?"
"Well, I hope so," said Mrs.Ruck.
Mr.Ruck, with his hands in his pockets, gave me a sociable wink.--"There's nothing much you can tell them!" he said.
The two ladies stood face to face a few moments, surveying each other's garments."Don't you want to go out?" the young girl at last inquired of her mother.
"Well, I think we had better; we have got to go up to that place.""To what place?" asked Mr.Ruck.
"To that jeweller's--to that big one."
"They all seemed big enough; they were too big!" And Mr.Ruck gave me another wink.
"That one where we saw the blue cross," said his daughter.
"Oh, come, what do you want of that blue cross?" poor Mr.Ruck demanded.
"She wants to hang it on a black velvet ribbon and tie it round her neck," said his wife.
"A black velvet ribbon? No, I thank you!" cried the young lady."Do you suppose I would wear that cross on a black velvet ribbon? On a nice little gold chain, if you please--a little narrow gold chain, like an old-fashioned watch-chain.That's the proper thing for that blue cross.I know the sort of chain I mean; I'm going to look for one.When I want a thing," said Miss Ruck, with decision, "I can generally find it.""Look here, Sophy," her father urged, "you don't want that blue cross.""I do want it--I happen to want it." And Sophy glanced at me with a little laugh.
Her laugh, which in itself was pretty, suggested that there were various relations in which one might stand to Miss Ruck; but I think I was conscious of a certain satisfaction in not occupying the paternal one."Don't worry the poor child," said her mother.
"Come on, mother," said Miss Ruck.
"We are going to look about a little," explained the elder lady to me, by way of taking leave.
"I know what that means," remarked Mr.Ruck, as his companions moved away.He stood looking at them a moment, while he raised his hand to his head, behind, and stood rubbing it a little, with a movement that displaced his hat.(I may remark in parenthesis that I never saw a hat more easily displaced than Mr.Ruck's.) I supposed he was going to say something querulous, but I was mistaken.Mr.Ruck was unhappy, but he was very good-natured."Well, they want to pick up something," he said."That's the principal interest, for ladies."