Page:The Breath of Scandal (1922).djvu/42



RS. HALE planned this informal dinner to be very formal; but her husband turned it as far as possible into a comfortable sort of family affair. He simply could not be stiff with young people whom he liked; he knew the subjects which interested them and talked in a way which started them because he really was interested in those subjects himself. There were ten at the table, two girls and two young men on each side, between Marjorie's father at one end of the board and her mother at the other. Gregg and Billy were on the same side with Marjorie between them, and with Mrs. Hale on the other side of Billy. At Gregg's left was Clara Sedgwick, whom he knew pretty well; she was about Marjorie's age, a light-haired, pleasant looking girl, almost pretty and with that agreeable ease of manner which upbringing in a family of established position gives a girl who has good sense. She talked when she had something to say and listened when she hadn't and never perpetrated those tiresome chatterings called "efforts" and never tried to be clever. Gregg liked her and thought her a nice, easy-going sort of a girl who could always be depended upon for normal, natural feelings and, being conservative, she seemed a good "best friend" for a live one like Marjorie. Across the table was Elsie Sedgwick, who was two years younger than Clara, with the same upbringing but with a quite dissimilar disposition. Elsie was