Brother
Amyas had beautiful gold lace, brother Amyas had a red and white
feather; brother Amyas had given Fay and Letty each a ride on his
shoulder, but Amy was afraid; brother Amyas said their papa would
love them very much. He had given them each a new silver shilling,
and Amoret had in return presented him with her doll's beautiful
pink back-string that Cousin Aura had made for her. This wonderful
brother had asked who had taught them to be such pretty little
gentlewomen, and at this Aurelia's heart beat a little, but
provoking Fidelia replied: "I told him my Mammy Rolfe taught me
to be genteel," and Letty added: "And he said Fay was a conceited
little pussy cat."
A strange indefinable feeling between self-respect and shyness made
Aurelia shrink from the point-blank question whether the ungrateful
little things had acknowledged their obligations to her. She was
always hoping they would say something of their own accord, and
always disappointed.
Evening came, and she eagerly repaired to the dark room, wondering,
yet half dreading to enter on the subject, and beginning by an
apology for having by no means perfected herself in Priam's visit
to Achilles.
"If you have been making visits," said Mr. Belamour: "I too have had
a visitor."
"The children told me so," she answered.
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