ent thing from not wishing sufficiently to give it.
There was something moreover, on it all, that Milly
still found occasion to say, " If your aunt has been,
as you tell me, put out by me, I feel that she has
remained remarkably kind."

"Oh, but she has whatever might have hap
pened in that respect plenty of use for you! You
put her in, my dear, more than you put her out. You
don't half see it, but she has clutched your petticoat.
You can do anything you can do, I mean, lots that
we can t. You re an outsider, independent and
standing by yourself; you re not hideously relative
to tiers and tiers of others." And Kate, facing in
that direction, went further and further; wound up,
while Milly gaped, with extraordinary words.
"We re of no use to you it's decent to tell you.
You'd be of use to us, but that's a different mat
ter. My honest advice to you would be " she went
indeed all lengths " to drop us while you can. It
would be funny if you didn't soon see how awfully
better you can do. We ve not really done for you
the least thing worth speaking of nothing you
mightn't easily have had in some other way. There
fore you re under no obligation. You won't want
us next year; we shall only continue to want you.
But that's no reason for you, and you mustn't pay
too dreadfully for poor Mrs. Stringham's having let
you in. She has the best conscience in the world;
she's enchanted with what she has done; but you
shouldn't take your people from her. It has been
quite awful to see you do it."

[[307]]

p306 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p307w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p308

v?