Black dignified by the title of "Assembly Hall," was partially filled when they entered. Some sixty women of various ages, with a sprinkling of men among them, occupied the chairs on the floor. Upon the speakers' platform half a dozen ladies in radiant attire were chatting volubly with another, an imposing creature in crimson silk, who surveyed the audience through a gold lorgnette, and whose general appearance reminded Daniel of one of the stuffed armchairs in the parlor of their new home.
"That is Mrs. Cornish, the speaker of the evening," whispered Annette. "She is one of our most brilliant members."
"Yes," replied Dan'l, to whom the information had been imparted, and upon whom the crimson silk had made an impression; "yes, she--she does look sort of--sort of brilliant."
"But I thought the Chapter was larger than this," said the puzzled Mrs. Dott. "I thought Scarford had one of the largest Chapters."
"Oh, no, not the largest, merely one of the best. Our motto always has been quality not quantity. And now will you excuse me? They are waiting for me on the platform. I will see you when the open meeting is over. Phelps, find good seats for Mr. and Mrs. Dott."
She bustled away to the platform. The gloomy B. Phelps found seats for the guests and himself and sank heavily down beside them. Daniel, who had been gazing about him with curiosity, whispered a question.
"What do they do at these things, Barney--Phelps, I mean?" he asked. "Are they like lodge meetings at home? This is my first trip here, you know."
"Humph!" grunted his companion. "You're in luck."
"Talk, don't they?"
"Talk! Good Lord! Say, Dan, if I get to sleep and you notice Annette looking this way, nudge me, that's a good fellow."
He settled himself in his chair and closed his eyes. Daniel turned to his wife.
"Serena," he murmured. "Say, Serena, don't you think it is a queer-lookin' crowd? Seems to me I never saw such clothes or so many different kinds of hair. Look at that woman's skirt. It's tore all up one side."
"Sshh! Don't speak so loud. That's the latest style."
"What! THAT? Well, I--"
"Sshh! It's the latest style, I tell you. Haven't you seen the fashion magazines? All the new dresses are made that way."
"Yours ain't."
"Well, I--I'm not as young as that woman is."
"You wouldn't wear a thing like that if you were as young as Gertie; and she wouldn't either, not if I saw it first. I never saw such folks as these at Trumet."
"Of course you didn't. Trumet isn't Scarford. We are in society now, Daniel. We mustn't show our ignorance."
"Humph! I'd rather show my ignorance than--Hello, the doin's are goin' to commence."
The Chapter president, a Mrs. Lake, advanced to the desk, smote it fiercely with a gavel and demanded order. The hall, which had been buzzing like a colony of June bugs, gradually grew still. Then Mrs. Lake opened the meeting. She delivered a short speech. Mrs. Black, in lieu of the secretary, who was absent, read the minutes. Then there were motions and amendments and excited calls for recognition from "Madam President." It was livelier than Daniel had expected.
But soon the woman in crimson silk was introduced. Mrs. Cornish bowed in recognition of the gloved applause, and proceeded to talk... and talk... and talk....
At first Captain Dan endeavored to pay strict attention to the address. Its title was "The Modern Tendency," and the tendency in this case seemed to be to say as much as possible about nothing in particular.
Daniel found his attention wandering and his eyes closing. They opened at intervals as the applause burst forth, but they closed between bursts. The tremendous enthusiasm at the end, however, awoke him for good, and he remained awake until the close of the "open meeting," a marked contrast to Mr. Black, who slumbered to the finish.
When it was over Annette descended from the platform and came hurrying to them.
"How did you enjoy it, Captain Dott?" she purred.
Daniel rather dubiously admitted that he guessed 'twas first rate, far's he could make it out. His wife was enthusiastic; she affirmed that it was splendid.
"I'm sure we couldn't help enjoying it, Mrs. Black," she said. "Everyone of us. Didn't you enjoy it, Mr. Black?"
"Sure!" replied Phelps promptly. "Great stuff!"
His wife swooped upon him like a swallow on a fly.
"You?" she snorted contemptuously. "You didn't hear a word of it. I only hope Mrs. Cornish wasn't watching you, as I was. And now," she added, turning to Serena, "comes the other part, the important part. Captain Dott, there is to be a short business meeting in a few minutes, and men are, of course, excluded. Phelps, will you have James drive Captain Dott home? You had better go with him, and then come back again and wait for us. Captain Dott, I am going to borrow your wife for a short time."
Daniel, not knowing exactly what to say, said nothing. Phelps seized his arm and led him down to the carriage. The driver received his instructions and the homeward ride began.
"I say, Barney," observed Daniel, after waiting for his escort to volunteer a word or two, "are all their meetings like that?"
Mr. Black snorted. "No," he declared; "some are a d----d sight worse."
It was after eleven when Serena returned. Her face was flushed and shining with excitement. She did not wait to remove her hat, but rushed into the parlor where her husband sat in lonely magnificence. The solicitous Hapgood, who had happened in every few minutes to see if his employer "wished anything," had been ordered to "go aloft and turn in." The tone in which the order was given made an impression and Hapgood had obeyed.
"Oh, Daniel!" she cried. "What do you think? I've been made a member of the Chapter!"
Captain Dan should perhaps have been enthusiastic. If he was, he suppressed his feelings wonderfully.
"Have you, Serena?" he observed. "I want to know!"
He listened while his wife dilated upon the wonderful happenings at the meeting and the glorious consequences which she felt sure were to follow. Just before putting out the light he asked one more question.
"That--that Mrs. Lake?" he said. "She's a grass widow, ain't she--isn't she, I mean?"
"Yes, what of it?"
"Oh, nothing. Only I thought you were kind of prejudiced against--against--"
"I've had a good many prejudices, I suppose, like other people. But Mrs. Lake's husband was a brute; Mrs. Black told me so. He must have been, for she is perfectly lovely. I've met them all, and they are ALL lovely. They're going to call and--and everything. Oh, Daniel, this means so much to us!"
Captain Dan turned out the gas.
"Yes, Serena," he said slowly. "I shouldn't wonder if it did."
The calls began the very next afternoon. Mrs. Black, having made up her mind that the taking of the Dotts under her wing was a necessity, made a virtue of that necessity and explained to her fellow members of Scarford Chapter that Serena and Daniel were really very nice people. "A little countrified, of course. You must expect that. But they are very kind hearted and immensely wealthy--oh, immensely." She was kind enough to add that Serena was quite an exceptional person and an advanced thinker, considering her opportunities. "The club people were going to take them up, and so I felt that we should get in first," she explained. "If they should prove to be impossible we can drop them at any time, of course."
In making this explanation she did not mention the Fenholtzes, and yet if it had not