'
'Ah! you will soon lose that notion when you are married. Limeton
ladies are much more sensible.'
Mary was prudently silent. It was evidently useless to argue with
the old lady. After tea Mrs. Cowell went to sleep in her chair, and
Louise took her visitor to Tom's own room, showed her his wonderful
juvenile achievements in drawing and calligraphy, and seeing Mary was
somewhat silent, said suddenly:
'You most not mind what mamma says, dear Mary; she is old-fashioned
in her ideas, and I have been brought up to be something-like her,
but we can't expect every one to be cut out after our own pattern.
Tom is not'
The intention was, no doubt, very kind, but the tone seemed to Mary
one of tolerance. She fancied Louise meant to patronize her, making
allowance for her short-comings, and she could not brook that in her
present mood, so she answered, somewhat tartly:
'I am afraid I should not meet the expectations of any of you, not
having been cut out by any pattern at all, that I know of.'
'There, you are offended, and I am sorry. But mamma meant well, and
so do I,' she added, after a pause.
Now, Mary prided herself upon being exceedingly reasonable, and so
she reflected that Mrs.
Pages:
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207