"Oh, _thank_ you! That's a great relief."
"Well--and now the question is, will you take the part of the Nurse or not
in the dramatics?" asked Mrs. Munger, returning to business.
"Well, I must think about that, and I must ask Mr. Wilmington. Jack," she
called over her shoulder to the young man at the window, "do you think your
uncle would approve of me as Juliet's Nurse?"
"You'd better ask him," growled the young fellow.
"Well," said Mrs. Wilmington, with another laugh, "I'll think it over, Mrs.
Munger."
"Thank you," said Mrs. Munger. "And now we must really be going," she
added, pulling out her watch by its leathern guard.
"Not till you've had lunch," said Mrs. Wilmington, rising with the ladies.
"You must stay. Annie, I shall not excuse you."
"Well," said Mrs. Munger, complying without regard to Annie, "all this
diplomacy is certainly very exhausting."
"Lunch will be on the table in one moment," returned Mrs. Wilmington, as
the ladies sat down again provisionally. "Will you join us, Jack?"
"No; I'm going to the office," said the nephew, bowing himself out of the
room.
"Jack's learning to be superintendent," said Mrs. Wilmington, lifting her
teasing voice to make him hear her in the hall, "and he's been spending the
whole morning here."
In the richly appointed dining-room--a glitter of china and glass and a
mass of carven oak--the table was laid for two.
"Put another plate, Norah," said Mrs. Wilmington carelessly.
There was bouillon in teacups, chicken cutlets in white sauce, and luscious
strawberries.
"_What_ a cook!" cried Mrs. Munger, over the cutlets.
"Yes, she's a treasure; I don't deny it," said Mrs. Wilmington.