do on nights when she went out with my sisters at the li cottage however my mother never went out in the c evenings i was awake when the girls came home mother was sitting writing letters at the open window they came in all of a rush oh mother has great news for you said i hope you will be pleased mother said in a little meek voice now my sister was not meek she was no beauty � she was rather clever and she was very dominant in truth she was haughty but that evening she was as mild as new milk i was not supposed to be awake but i could see from where i lay that my mother looked up what has happened dear she asked george has asked me to marry him she said what did you say asked mother sharply i said yes � subject of course to your approval dear she replied oh my dear i think george charming and he is the eldest son and they are so rich until now this moment i had always thought that my mother was friends with the because a self made she liked them then the knowledge came to me that she was really friends with them because they were so rich it puzzled me very much he is coming to see you to morrow dear said softly at about eleven in the morning and i think i will say good night now and kissing mother she went away closing the door behind her sat down on the other side of mother s little writing table and rested her chin on the palms of her two hands you are pleased aren t you mother she said mother gave a sigh oh my dear i am more than pleased is so � so � h m � well so very clever said with a laugh hush hush you will wake the child said my mother gave a careless look round at my little bed oh she s sound asleep she said it will be a great relief to you to get her settled before i am really out yes my dear but her will cost a good deal i suppose she won t be satisfied unless she has all her of silk like your cousin � and had twelve of everything said well she must have her things � all her proper things said my mother � and as we are still in mourning for your poor father we can have a fairly quiet but she must have her things did mrs know do you think she went on a self made well i don t know if she knew but she guessed it is a lucky thing you know said that mrs thinks such an awful lot of i only hope will keep it up oh well dear she is going to be very rich � very rich said mother after all there is nothing like if your poor dear father had made instead of nations i should have been a rich woman now we can t all make dear said no darling said my mother that is quite true and so some of us went on must be content to be mere makers of nations � and there is a certain about it that you don t find in mother honey i wouldn t say so to said my mother oh no no and besides george is altogether charming in himself � not much to look at you know though i think i should like a little more in the way of manly beauty myself but the great thing is that fancies him and he fancies so they can sort themselves out afterwards and since mrs is so devoted to her they can buy this house for them � i the doctor will be very pleased to sell it that is as may be said my mother i shall leave them to themselves i must provide with her after that i shall not interfere or have any opinions or give any advice my hands are full enough a self made laughed softly yes that s quite true � you will have to get rid of me next my dear don t say such things my mother still you know what i mean � you don t want daughters hanging around like of hung up to dry tm sure it s most considerate of to get herself out of the way before i make a start i really think mother you will have a better chance with me i am not a bit prettier than but i am more for one thing and i know better what i want i am than she is too � and then you will have plenty of time before you want to float little red head little red head meant me if you please i gave a kick under the � i did so hate to hear my unfortunate red head discussed and talked about no said my mother you don t see many such heads as s no you don t replied promptly and perhaps it s a good thing you don t because they pretty well take the shine out of every other kind of head that comes near them do you know i never told you mother the very last time i was in the park i was walking along behind and and we passed the painter who was leaning against the talking to another man good god i heard him say do you see that kid s head i never saw such a head in my life i wonder who she is and if i could get her to sit for me � i never saw such hair then he saw me as i passed a self made and bowed to me i was laughing outright but i don t think he guessed that she 