A really nice man. But the affair was no sort of success. I have
told you about it already. . . .
II
WELL, that about brings me up to the date of my receiving, in
Waterbury, the laconic cable from Edward to the effect that he
wanted me to go to Branshaw and have a chat. I was pretty busy at
the time and I was half minded to send him a reply cable to the
effect that I would start in a fortnight. But I was having a long
interview with old Mr Hurlbird's attorneys and immediately
afterwards I had to have a long interview with the Misses Hurlbird,
so I delayed cabling.
I had expected to find the Misses Hurlbird excessively old--in the
nineties or thereabouts. The time had passed so slowly that I had
the impression that it must have been thirty years since I had been
in the United States. It was only twelve years. Actually Miss
Hurlbird was just sixty-one and Miss Florence Hurlbird fifty-nine,
and they were both, mentally and physically, as vigorous as could
be desired. They were, indeed, more vigorous, mentally, than
suited my purpose, which was to get away from the United States
as quickly as I could. The Hurlbirds were an exceedingly united
family--exceedingly united except on one set of points.
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