"I should like to send little Elma a crown of pearls, but I daren't," said she with a sigh. "She's such a pet, isn't she!"
"Timorous, but a pet," said Jean with a broad smile.
"She is holding the fort just now at any rate," responded Mabel.
They thought it would be all right to tell Adelaide Maud something of what Elma had written.
"I trembled, of course," Elma had said; "but the thing had to be done. I wouldn't for a moment let you think that you couldn't come home and slip in to the places that belong to you. Isobel would have possessed the whole house if I hadn't played up. I don't know why she wants to. It must be so much nicer not to have to bother about servants and table centres. But she has never squeaked since I spoke about it. In fact, she won't even speak to me unless some one is about, passes me without a word."
"Poor darling," said Adelaide Maud; "what a worm your cousin must be."
"No, I don't think she's that," said Mabel; "it's just that she simply must rule, you know. She must have everything good that is going."
"H'm," answered Adelaide Maud. "Why doesn't that brother of yours go slashing about a little, and keep her from bullying Elma."
"Oh, Elma would never tell Cuthbert. Don't you see it mightn't be fair to prejudice him against Isobel. Isobel thinks such a lot of Cuthbert."
"Oh."