that in any civilized country the owner of such lands and name and estate would have been a peer. Nicholas, agreeing with him, had not objected, though the matter was indifferent to him. A Van Ryn had no need of title or distinction borrowed from Europe.
'This way, then, Miranda,' said Nicholas, ushering her down the hall to a doorway on the left. "You shall now have the pleasure of meeting my wife.'
Was there a peculiar intonation in his voice or did she imagine it? She had no time to wonder, for they entered the Green Drawing-Room.
Johanna Van Ryn sat by die window embroidering. She started and her gold thimble rattled on the floor as Miranda and Nicholas walked in.
She looked up at her husband and the dull colorless eyes came to life with longing and a mute appeal. 'You're back!' she whispered.
Nicholas picked up the thimble and placed it on the tabouret be side a half-eaten cruller. He bowed to his wife and taking her extended hand, which was loaded with rings, barely touched it with his lips. Yes, I'm back as you see. And here is Miranda.'
Johanna's eyes dropped and she gave a nearly inaudible sigh. 'Welcome to Dragonwyck, child,' she said, not looking at the girl. 'I trust you'll be happy. Nicholas, did you bring me the pastries?'
Miranda stared at the figure in the rocking chair. Johanna was enormously fat, the plump pale fat that makes monstrous dimples at elbows and knuckles. On her face, which was round and white as one of the crockery plates in the kitchen at home, there were two unskillfully applied spots of what even Miranda, who had never seen any, recognized as rouge. The scanty flaxen hair was tightly drawn back and covered with a coquettish lace cap embellished with blue ribbons none too fresh. There were delicate laces covering her bosom and on them were scattered small brown crumbs whose origin was no farther to seek than the cruller on the tabouret.
Miranda, suddenly remembering her manners, said: 'It's most kind of you, ma'am, to let me come here. Please to accept Ma and Pa's respects.'
Johanna nodded. 'I'm sure they're most worthy people, and I'm sure you'll be a good girl. Nicholas, did you get those pastries?'
Her husband stood looking down at her a moment without answering, then he spoke pleasantly. "I did, my dear. Will you have them here now, or can you wait until supper time?'
"Did you get the Napoleons, the honey puffs, and the mocha bon-bons?'
'All of them.'
She contracted her tow-colored eyebrows. "Well, I think I'll have the bon-bons now. Tell Tompkins to have the others served at dinner. Be sure he keeps them well chilled so the cream won't melt.'
Nicholas bowed slightly. 'It shall be done, my love.'
How sweet he is to her, thought Miranda. I suppose he was awfully in love with her and hasn't noticed that she's so fat and untidy. Farther than that she did not go in her thoughts, for she was determined to like Johanna.
'One of the servants will show you to your room,' said Johanna, at last realizing that the girl was still standing there, 'and after a while you'd best go and find Katrine. I never can keep track of that child. You might read a story to her.'
'I think we can hardly ask our guest to occupy herself with a child tonight,' said Nicholas. 'She must be tired.'
Johanna shrugged her massive shoulders, and thrusting out an incredibly small foot in a purple velvet slipper began to rock slowly back and forth.
'Oh, to be sure, you must rest if you're tired, my dear. You'll feel better after a good supper. You may eat it in the nursery.'
'Oh, I think not,' said Nicholas again. 'Our cousin would hardly eat in the nursery. It will be a pleasure to have her with us.'
Johanna pursed her mouth. As you like, Nicholas. Only do hurry and tell Tompkins about those pastries or they'll be quite ruined.'
Miranda listened to all this with dismay. She didn't know what a nursery was exactly, but it was plain enough that Johanna expected to consider her as a kind of upper servant. She
'This way, then, Miranda,' said Nicholas, ushering her down the hall to a doorway on the left. "You shall now have the pleasure of meeting my wife.'
Was there a peculiar intonation in his voice or did she imagine it? She had no time to wonder, for they entered the Green Drawing-Room.
Johanna Van Ryn sat by die window embroidering. She started and her gold thimble rattled on the floor as Miranda and Nicholas walked in.
She looked up at her husband and the dull colorless eyes came to life with longing and a mute appeal. 'You're back!' she whispered.
Nicholas picked up the thimble and placed it on the tabouret be side a half-eaten cruller. He bowed to his wife and taking her extended hand, which was loaded with rings, barely touched it with his lips. Yes, I'm back as you see. And here is Miranda.'
Johanna's eyes dropped and she gave a nearly inaudible sigh. 'Welcome to Dragonwyck, child,' she said, not looking at the girl. 'I trust you'll be happy. Nicholas, did you bring me the pastries?'
Miranda stared at the figure in the rocking chair. Johanna was enormously fat, the plump pale fat that makes monstrous dimples at elbows and knuckles. On her face, which was round and white as one of the crockery plates in the kitchen at home, there were two unskillfully applied spots of what even Miranda, who had never seen any, recognized as rouge. The scanty flaxen hair was tightly drawn back and covered with a coquettish lace cap embellished with blue ribbons none too fresh. There were delicate laces covering her bosom and on them were scattered small brown crumbs whose origin was no farther to seek than the cruller on the tabouret.
Miranda, suddenly remembering her manners, said: 'It's most kind of you, ma'am, to let me come here. Please to accept Ma and Pa's respects.'
Johanna nodded. 'I'm sure they're most worthy people, and I'm sure you'll be a good girl. Nicholas, did you get those pastries?'
Her husband stood looking down at her a moment without answering, then he spoke pleasantly. "I did, my dear. Will you have them here now, or can you wait until supper time?'
"Did you get the Napoleons, the honey puffs, and the mocha bon-bons?'
'All of them.'
She contracted her tow-colored eyebrows. "Well, I think I'll have the bon-bons now. Tell Tompkins to have the others served at dinner. Be sure he keeps them well chilled so the cream won't melt.'
Nicholas bowed slightly. 'It shall be done, my love.'
How sweet he is to her, thought Miranda. I suppose he was awfully in love with her and hasn't noticed that she's so fat and untidy. Farther than that she did not go in her thoughts, for she was determined to like Johanna.
'One of the servants will show you to your room,' said Johanna, at last realizing that the girl was still standing there, 'and after a while you'd best go and find Katrine. I never can keep track of that child. You might read a story to her.'
'I think we can hardly ask our guest to occupy herself with a child tonight,' said Nicholas. 'She must be tired.'
Johanna shrugged her massive shoulders, and thrusting out an incredibly small foot in a purple velvet slipper began to rock slowly back and forth.
'Oh, to be sure, you must rest if you're tired, my dear. You'll feel better after a good supper. You may eat it in the nursery.'
'Oh, I think not,' said Nicholas again. 'Our cousin would hardly eat in the nursery. It will be a pleasure to have her with us.'
Johanna pursed her mouth. As you like, Nicholas. Only do hurry and tell Tompkins about those pastries or they'll be quite ruined.'
Miranda listened to all this with dismay. She didn't know what a nursery was exactly, but it was plain enough that Johanna expected to consider her as a kind of upper servant. She
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