Her
eyes roved sea and sky and encircling hills; she saw the last wisp of
mist rise and vanish from the stern silhouette of Tamalpais, and saw an
early ferryboat cut a wake of exquisite spreading lacework across the
bay. And whenever her glance crossed Sally's, or the doctor's, or
Richie's glance, she smiled like a happy child, and the Tolands smiled
back.
They all rushed into the house, ravenous and happy, for a nine o'clock
breakfast, Julia so lovely, in her borrowed clothing and with her
bright, loosened hair, that the young men of the family began, without
exception, to "show off" for her benefit, as Theodora scornfully
expressed it. And there was bacon and rolls and jam for every one, blue
bowls of cereal, glass pitchers of yellow cream, smoking hot coffee
always ready to run in an amber stream from the spout of the big silver
urn.
"And you must eat at least four waffles," said Ned, "or my father will
never let you come again! He has to drum up trade, you know--"
It was all delightful, not the less so because it was all tinged, for
Julia, with a little current of something exquisitely painful; not envy,
not regret, not resentment, a little of all three.
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