Gladys who was sympathy itself, jumped up and ran to Helen's side.
Putting her arms round her neck she kissed her, saying as she did so "never mind Helen dear, dont cry, I should not have hurt your feelings so, but cheer up and I'll tell you some news which will show you that we have some friends, who are not on Mr. Palsey's side."
Helen, who quickly got over her fits of sorrow dried her eyes and looked up.
"What is it?" she asked.
Gladys sat down again and opening her mother's letter said "you know what Mother says in the post-script, about my sisters and brothers being very upset and longing for me to marry James?"
"Yes" answered Helen, "but how many have you got, I understood you were a very small family?"
"Oh no, we are rather a large family" responded Gladys, "perhaps I had better tell you our names or you wont understand the news."
"Yes please do" pleaded Helen.
"Well I have three brothers and three sisters," said Gladys, "Lionel is the eldest of the family, he's about 25 or 26 I think, then there is Wilelmina, we always call her Minna, she is 24, then Lawrence is about 23 I fancy. I am the next, and I suppose you know I have just come of age. Ethel and Elsie (the twins) are just 19, and Hugh is the youngest, he is between 17 and 18."
"You all seem to have very fanciful names" said Helen.