Five Little Peppers Grown Up | Page 5

with him," cried Polly, getting down the steps with a

dreadful weight at her heart.
"I made it all right with father," said Jasper, "as soon as I heard of your
plan; and Mr. Alstyne is on his way over to take my place; at least he
ought to be in response to my note. Don't worry, Polly; come."
"Oh! what perfectly elegant seats," exclaimed Alexia Rhys, waving her
big ostrich fan contentedly, and sweeping the audience with a long gaze.
"Everybody is here to-night, Pickering."
"That's not so," said Pickering savagely, and bestowing a thump on his
unoffending opera hat, already reduced to the smallest possible bulk.
"Don't spoil it," advised Alexia coolly, with a sidelong gaze at his face.
"Well, of course I mean everybody except Polly; and I'm sure,
Pickering, it isn't my fault that she didn't come; Polly always was queer
about some things."
Pickering did not answer, but bestowed his glance on the programme in
his hand.
"And now she is queerer than ever," said Alexia, glad to think that the
dainty blue affair on her head, she called a bonnet, was already doing
its work, as she heard a lady in the seat back of them, question if it
were not one of the newest of Madame Marchaud's creations. So she
sat more erect, and played nonchalantly with her fan. "Yes, and it's all
because of those dreadfully horrid music lessons."
Pickering coughed, and rattled his programme ominously, which
Alexia pretended not to hear.
"Why Mr. King lets her do it, I can't see," she went on.
"Do stop," said Pickering shortly, and casting a nervous glance back of
her shoulder.
"Never mind if they do hear," said Alexia sweetly, "all the better; then
they'll know we don't approve of her doing so, at any rate."

"I do approve," said Pickering, his face flaming, "if she wants to; and
we've got to, any way, because we can't help ourselves. I do wish,
Alexia, you wouldn't discuss our friends in this public way."
"And I don't think it is a very sweet thing to invite a girl to a concert,
and then get up a fight," said Alexia, back at him.
"Goodness--who's fighting?" exclaimed Pickering under his brealn.
"You are--I wish you could see your face; it's as black as a thunder
cloud," said Alexia, with the consciousness that her own was as calm as
a June morning. "And I'm sure if you don't want to attract people to our
conversation, you might at least look a little pleasanter."
Pickering threw two or three nervous glances on either side, to prove
her words, and was by no means reassured to see the countenance of
Billy Harlow, one of his young business friends, across the aisle,
suffused with an attempt to appear as if he hadn't been a witness to the
little by-play.
"Well, I'm morally certain I won't trouble you with another invitation to
a concert," he said, too furious to quite know his own words.
"You needn't," said Alexia, swinging her fan with an even hand, and
still smiling sweetly, this time including in it Billy, who had no girl
with him. "I really could endure life at home better than this bliss." And
then D'Albert came on the stage, and it was the proper thing to keep
quiet, so the hostilities died down.
Going out of the Opera House, Billy Harlow ran up to the two. "Lovely
time you've had," he said on Alexia's side, and with a little grimace.
"Haven't I?" said Alexia back again, with the air of a martyr. Pickering
stalking along by her side, had the air of a man who didn't care what
was being said about him.
"Just look at him now," said Alexia softly, "isn't he sweet? And fancy
my bearing it for two hours. I don't think any other girl in our set,

could."
"Why didn't Miss Pepper come this evening?" asked Mr. Harlow
curiously; "Pickering said he'd asked her."
"Oh! she gave it up to help some girl," said Alexia carelessly. "She's
the music teacher at Miss Salisbury's school, you know."
"Oh! is she?" asked Mr. Harlow innocently, forgetting to mention the
daily interviews he sustained with his sisters Kitty and Grace who were
"Salisbury girls," on Miss Pepper's movements.
"And at the last minute he asked me to take her place," said Alexia with
perfect frankness, "and I was goose enough to do it."
"Isn't Miss Pepper going to give a Recital pretty soon?" asked Mr.
Harlow, incidentally, as they worked their way along to the entrance.
"Yes, she is," said Alexia sharply, "at the Exeter--we can't stop her; she
says she's proud to do it, and it shows the girls' wonderful ability; and
all that sort of thing--and--and--oh dear me! after she's once done that,