"Next time you come over you must let me know you are there. I have such a dear old sitting-room at the Farm."
"May we be friends with you?" asked Charity eagerly.
Miss Huntingdon laughed aloud.
"You are the quaintest children I have ever seen!" she said.
Hope felt compelled to explain Charity's somewhat forward behaviour.
"It's really because Faith makes friends with old men, and we want to make friends with somebody else. Faith goes out to tea every Saturday to the Towers, and Charity and I have to stay at home."
"Oh, I see daylight. Faith is your other sister, is she not? And you would like to come to tea with me on Saturday? I shall be delighted. It will cheer me up. And I'll get Mrs. Davis to make one of her big tea-cakes. That's settled, then, and I shall expect you next Saturday at four o'clock."
Charity and Hope were very uncomfortable. Charity said:
"We never meant to ask you to ask us. And Granny and Aunt Alice mightn't let us come. It's very kind of you, but if you'll let us come and talk to you while you are painting sometimes and be friends, we would like to do that, without coming to tea."
Miss Huntingdon looked at Charity's red cheeks and Hope's downcast eyes and understood.