The Holidays

Guy was in the best of spirits. For an entire half day he had tried to
devise some means to getting Maddy up to Aikenside. It was quite too
bad for her to spend the whole vacation at the cottage, as she seemed
likely to do. He knew she was lonely there; that the bare floor and
low, dark walls affected her unpleasantly. He had seen that in her
face when he bade her good-by, for he had carried her down to the
cottage himself, and now he was going after her. There was to be a
party at Aikenside; the very first since Guy was its master. The
neighbors had said he was too proud to invite them, but they should
say so no more. The house was to be thrown open in honor of Guy's
twenty-sixth birthday, and all who were at all desirable as guests
were to be bidden to the festival. First on the list was the doctor,
who, remembering how averse Guy was to large parties, wondered at the
proceedings. But Guy was all engaged in the matter, and after telling
who were to be invited, added rather indifferently: "I'm going now
down to Honedale after Maddy. It's better for her to be with us a day
or two beforehand. You've seen her, of course."

No, the doctor had not; he was just going there, he said, in a tone so
full of sad disappointment, that Guy detected it at once, and asked if
anything was the matter.