The Hired Girl(85)

But they were nine dollars. I turned away, aghast. I think if it had been five dollars, I would have been wicked and taken the money from my Belinda fund. Ma told me that money isn’t for toys, or pretty clothes, or even books, but I think I’d have bought one of those watches if they’d been five dollars, though five dollars is a dreadful, dreadful price to pay for something you don’t need. The funny thing is, I think I wanted the watch even more after I found out it was so expensive. I wonder if I’ll ever have anything expensive.

But nine dollars. Ma would turn over in her grave. I’d already bought a hat and a suit and two waists and gloves, and I had to buy Mimi an egg cream so I could beseech her not to tell Mrs. Rosenbach about David and me walking in the park.

We left Rosenbach’s and went to the drugstore. Mimi wanted a chocolate ice-cream soda instead of an egg cream, so I ordered two. I was wondering how to get to the subject of David and me, but Mimi got there first. She used the tip of her spoon to shave the tiniest bit of ice cream off the dollop in her glass. “You don’t have to buy me a soda, you know. David already told me not to tell.”

She is the most provoking child! It took my breath away, the way she could see through me. I couldn’t think of a thing to say back.

“I’m not a tattletale,” Mimi said. I could tell she was enjoying herself. “But you’d better not fall in love with David.”

“I’m not in love with David,” I said hotly. “I’m too young to be in love.” And at that moment, I would have given anything to tell her that I’m fourteen, because that would have proved it. If you’re fourteen, you shouldn’t even be accused of anything as horrid as being in love with someone’s brother. “I don’t care one bit about boys; you know that.”

“I know, but I thought I should warn you,” said Mimi, still playing with her ice cream. It’s not manners to play with your food, but she does it daintily, which is how she expects to get away with it, I guess. “David likes girls, and girls always like David. Malka says he used to chase girls when he was in short pants. Even then they liked him. It’s funny, because he has that awful nose —”

“Yes, isn’t his nose ridiculous?” I said eagerly. “When he sneezes it must be like a tornado. And when it bleeds, the Red Sea —”

Mimi lifted her eyebrows in a way that made her look just like her mother. “Did he say that speech for you? He didn’t make it up, you know. It’s from a play.”

“Oh, I know,” I said, but I hadn’t. I bent my head over my soda.

“He likes saying clever things, but they aren’t original,” Mimi pointed out. “And he quotes poetry to girls, and they like that. I wouldn’t; I hate poetry. But David likes it and he uses it on the girls. Then they get spoony and fall in love. Like that Isabelle Gratz.”

My ears pricked up. I’ve wondered if Isabelle Gratz was David’s first model for Joan of Arc — the girl with the pinched-in waist and the tiny little mind. “Who’s Isabelle Gratz?”

“She lives on Long Island,” Mimi explained, “and her father is in banking. He does a lot of business with Papa. David stayed with the Gratzes this past summer and studied painting. He partnered Isabelle at dances and played tennis and croquet and flirted with her — I’m sure he did, though he says he didn’t. So of course Isabelle fell in love with him. What made it scandalous is that the Gratzes are more Orthodox than we are — well, if you’re really Orthodox, a matchmaker chooses your husband, but the Gratzes aren’t as Orthodox as that. But Mr. Gratz didn’t like Isabelle spending so much time with David, and he told her it wasn’t maidenly, the spoony way she carried on when David was around. So Isabelle told him they were practically engaged. It wasn’t true, because David never had any idea of proposing to her. But Mr. Gratz took David aside and asked what were his intentions, and David said he didn’t have any. It wasn’t as if he’d kissed her or anything. Mr. Gratz was furious and said some very sharp things, and David caught the night train and came home in the middle of the night. Papa had to go back to New York to smooth things over. It isn’t the first time David’s gotten into a scrape. That’s why I’m warning you. David flirts with girls and then he’s surprised when they like him back. He says Isabelle’s silly, and I guess she is. She has a perfectly elegant way of dressing her hair, though.”

“Does she?” I said. I played with my ice cream. “How does she do it?”