The young man's mood seemed fretful; he
complained of the heat, of the dust, of a shoe that hurt him, of having
gone on an errand a mile to the other side of the town and found the
person he was in search of had left Northampton an hour before.
"Won't you have a cup of tea?" Cecilia asked. "Perhaps that will restore
your equanimity."
"Aye, by keeping me awake all night!" said Hudson. "At the best, it 's
hard enough to go down to the office. With my nerves set on edge by a
sleepless night, I should perforce stay at home and be brutal to my poor
mother."
"Your mother is well, I hope."
"Oh, she 's as usual."
"And Miss Garland?"
"She 's as usual, too. Every one, everything, is as usual. Nothing ever
happens, in this benighted town."
"I beg your pardon; things do happen, sometimes," said Cecilia. "Here
is a dear cousin of mine arrived on purpose to congratulate you on your
statuette." And she called to Rowland to come and be introduced to
Mr. Hudson. The young man sprang up with alacrity, and Rowland, coming
forward to shake hands, had a good look at him in the light projected
from the parlor window.
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