"Oh dear, yes. Don't you?"

Milly hesitated, for the question was somehow as
the sudden point of something sharp on a nerve that
winced. She just caught her breath, but she had
ground for joy afterwards, she felt, in not really
having failed to choose with quickness sufficient, out
of fifteen possible answers, the one that would best
serve her. She was then almost proud, as well, that
she had cheerfully smiled. " I did three times,
in New York." So came and went for her, in these
simple words, the speech that was to figure for her,
later on, that night, as the one she had ever uttered
that cost her most. She was to lie awake, at all
events, half the night, for the gladness of not having
taken any line so really inferior as the denial of a
happy impression.

For Mrs. Lowder also, moreover, her simple
words were the right ones; they were at any rate,
that lady's laugh showed, in the natural note of the
racy. " You dear American thing! But people
may be very good, and yet not good for what one
wants."

Yes," the girl assented, " even I suppose when
what one wants is something very good."

"Oh, my child, it would take too long just now
to tell you all _I_ want! I want everything at once
and together and ever so much for you too, you
know. But you ve seen us," Aunt Maud continued;
"you ll have made out."

"Ah," said Milly, " I don't make out "; for again

[[291]]

p290 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p291w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p292

v?