pity; and the result of that perception, for the girl,
was singular: it proved to her as quickly that Kate,
keeping her secret, had been straight with her.
From Kate distinctly then, as to why she was to be
pitied, Aunt Maud knew nothing, and was thereby
simply putting in evidence the fine side of her own
character. This fine side was that she could almost
at any hour, by a kindled preference or a diverted
energy, glow for another interest than her own.
She exclaimed as well, at this moment, that Milly
must have been thinking, round the case, much more
than she had supposed; and this remark could, at
once, affect the girl as sharply as any other form of
the charge of weakness. It was what everyone, if
she didn't look out, would soon be saying There's
something the matter with you! " What one was
therefore one's self concerned immediately to estab
lish was that there was nothing at all. " I shall like
to help you; I shall like, so far as that goes, to help
Kate herself," she made such haste as she could to
declare; her eyes wandering meanwhile across the
width of the room to that dusk of the balcony in
which their companion perhaps a little unaccounta
bly lingered. She suggested hereby her impatience
to begin; she almost overtly wondered at the length
of the opportunity this friend was giving them
referring it, however, so far as words went, to the
other friend, breaking off with an amused: " How
tremendously Susie must be beautifying!"

It only marked Aunt Maud, none the less, as too

[[295]]

p294 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p295w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p296

v?