CHAPTER FIVE
THE SHADOW OF GAIL
Joy spent most of the next morning talking to her grandparents--at
least, they talked and she listened. Grandmother, now that the first
shock was over, took the news with the same sweet and patient
acceptance of people's behavior that forty-five years' sojourn among
poets had taught her. The fact that Edith and Grace Carpenter were
John Hewitt's aunt and mother appeared to comfort her a great deal.
It made her feel less that Joy was marrying into a strange tribe.
Joy was pleased that this gave her grandmother relief. It was not
till the day of departure that she discovered what awful thing more
had been the result of the friendship. Indeed, it could have
occurred to nobody, although, as John and she agreed afterwards,
anybody _should_ have seen what was going to happen!
For the remaining days at the mountain inn there was little
excitement. Joy kept close to Phyllis or her grandmother, and John
enjoyed himself in what struck the Harringtons as being rather too
much his usual way. It seemed to them that a little scheming to see
Joy alone would have been more appropriate. But neither Phyllis nor
Allan were given to being relentlessly tactful, or planning
situations for people. They reasoned that if the others really
wanted _tete-a-tetes_ they could manage them without help; and
doubtless would, once they were in the country. So peace and
unruffledness reigned in a way that was most surprising, considering
the real facts of the case.
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