Trouble to her, always, was a signal which braced the nerves and sinews.
"It's to say--but I think you had better read it." It was held out
unfalteringly, while Mrs. Benson dived for, opened, wiped, tested, and
fixed her spectacles. These operations concluded, it was received as might
have been a dangerous explosive.
Punctuating as she went, Mrs. Benson read, _"Home to-morrow--seven people
--Ingram."_ Then she looked, confirmed in her omens, over the rim of her
spectacles. "Seven people, Miss Percival! A house-party! And, as you may
say, at a moment's notice. Dear, dear, dear!"
Miss Percival remained cheerful. "Oh, I don't read it like that," she
said, went behind Mrs. Benson, and read over her shoulder, pointing the
words with a pencil still wet from her mouth. "'Home to-morrow, seven--
with people--Ingram.' That's what it must mean, of course." She spoke
wooingly, but Mrs. Benson was not to be won.
"Then, why does he say 'Seven people,' Miss Percival? Why does he say
that?"
"But he doesn't, according to me." She laughed. "He is telling us the time
of his train. How could we meet him and his people if he didn't?"
"Ah," said Mrs. Benson, heavily prepared for the worst, "how could we?
That's where it is, you see.
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