“But you look so well, grandma; you oughtn’t to talk like that.”
“Never mind. My talking is about over, but I’m going to tell you something you may remember when I can’t talk any more at all. Your father and mother won’t even try to have any influence with you; they haven’t raised their children the way I did mine. Your father and mother have always been too easy-going with you to really help you by disciplining you when you wanted to do anything wrong, and they’ll both act the gentle fool with you now, just as they always have about everything. They won’t stop you from going ahead with this photograph girl.”
“No,” Dan said gently;—“and nothing could stop me, grandma. I told you she’s the finest, most beautiful——”
“Be quiet!” the old lady cried. “How much of that same sort of twaddle do you suppose a body’s heard in a life of ninety-two years? How many times do you suppose I’ve had to listen to just such stuff? Good heavens!”
“But, grandma——”
“You listen to me!” she said with sudden ferocity. “You don’t know anything about the girl, and you don’t know anything about yourself. At your age you don’t know anything about anything. You don’t even know you don’t know. And another thing you don’t know is, how much you’ve told me about this girl and her family without knowing it.”
“Grandma, I told you they’re fine people and——”
“Fine people!” she said bitterly. “Oh, yes! And how have they treated you?”
“Why, aren’t they givin’ me their—their dearest treasure? Doesn’t that show how they——”
“Yes, doesn’t it?” she interrupted. “It shows how much of a treasure they think she is!”