The noise was a curious babble or chatter, almost as if the sound-proof door--if there was such a thing--of a parrot cage had been suddenly opened. It came from somewhere at the rear of the house and was, apparently, produced by a number of feminine voices all speaking very fast and simultaneously. Elizabeth turned, glanced through the open door behind her, and then at Mrs. Berry. There was no doubt now concerning the troubled expression upon her face. She was troubled. "Mother--" she began, quickly. "Excuse us, Cap'n Kendrick, please--mother, have Elvira and Susan Brackett been talking to you about buying that collection of--of what they call garden statuary at Mrs. Seth Snowden's auction in Harniss?" And now Mrs. Berry, too, looked troubled. She turned red, stammered and fidgetted. "Why--why, Elizabeth," she said, "I--I don't see why you want to discuss that now. We have a visitor and I'm sure Captain Kendrick isn't interested." Her daughter did not seem to care whether the visitor was interested or not. "Tell me, mother, please," she urged. "_Have_ they been talking with you about their plan to buy that--those things?" Mrs. Berry's confusion increased. "Why--why, yes," she admitted. "Elvira did tell me about it, something about it. She said it was beautiful--the fountain and the--the deer and--and how pretty they would look on the lawn and----" "Mother, you didn't give them the least encouragement, did you? They say--Elvira and Mrs. Brackett say you told them you thought it a beautiful idea and that you were in favor of what they call their committee going to the sale next Monday and buying those--those cast-iron dogs and children with the Fair Harbor money? I am sure you didn't say that, did you, mother?... I'm awfully sorry, Cap'n Kendrick, to bring this matter into the middle of your call, but really it is very important and it can't be postponed, because.... Tell me, Mother, they will be here in a moment. You didn't say any such thing, did you?" Mrs. Berry's fine eyes--they had been called "starlike" twenty years before, by romantic young gentlemen--filled with tears. She wrung her hands. "I--I only said--" she stammered, "I---- Oh, I don't think I said anything except--except that---- Well, they were so sure they were lovely and a great bargain--and you know Captain Snowden's estate in Harniss was perfectly _charming_. You know it was, Elizabeth!" "Mother, you didn't tell them they might buy them?" "Why--why, no, I--I don't think I did. I--I couldn't have because I never do anything like that without consulting you.... Oh, Elizabeth, _please_, don't let us have a scene here, with Captain Kendrick present. What _will_ he think? Oh, dear, dear!"