“He gave me exactly what he gave you, for the same purpose. He told me so.”
“And you have saved two hundred and eight pounds! Well, well! Where is it?”
“In my bank.”
She looked at me not unkindly, and I said, “Mother! Mother! If you and Jessy would have only directed me, I would gladly have obeyed your desires. If you would have only stood by me, no one would have seen any faults in my way of dressing, and doing things. Amelia Barr is no different from Amelia Huddleston, and under that name every one loved and praised me.”
“Well, well, married women are little thought of—except by the one man—and not always much thought of by him.”
“Try to like me, Mother. I could so easily love you, and I will do all as you wish it,” and, as I spoke, I went to her side and lifted her hand.
“Please God,” she answered, “there is plenty of time to put wrong right. Will you give me a cup of tea now?”
“Forgive me, I forgot.”
“That is just it,” she answered. “You forget. You should have offered it to me, when I first came in.”
Then I did all I could to redeem the forgetting, and she said, “Take a cup yourself; it will do you good, and tomorrow send for John Forbes.”