Unity went to her aunt's chamber; the younger Cary walked away somewhat stiffly to the stables; Uncle Edward sent Deb to her lessons, and Uncle Dick told Jacqueline to come in half an hour to the library.

Edward and he wanted to speak to her.
Jacqueline gave her directions, or her aunt's directions, to Scipio, then crossed the paved way to the kitchen and talked of dinner and supper with the turbaned cook; opened with her keys the smokehouse door, and in the storeroom superintended the weighing of flour and sugar and the measuring of Java coffee, and finally saw that the drawing-room was properly darkened against the sunny morning, and that the water was fresh in the bowls of flowers.

She leaned for a moment against her harp, one hand upon its strings, her forehead resting upon her bare arm; then she turned from the room and entered the library, where she found her uncles waiting for her, Uncle Dick upon the hearth rug and Uncle Edward at the table.
"Jacqueline," began the first, then, "Edward, I never could talk to a woman! Ask her what all this damned nonsense means!" "Your uncle doesn't mean that it is all damned nonsense, Jacqueline," said Uncle Edward, with gentleness.

"Not perhaps from your point of view, my dear.

But both he and I are greatly grieved and disappointed--" "It was all arranged ages ago!" broke in the elder brother.