"No, thank you, mother."
As she bent down to kiss me before she left me, mother looked longingly into my face.
"I believe you look better already, dear. Don't you think that—— Why, darling, what's the matter; there are tears in your eyes."
Of course it was silly for a boy of twelve to begin to cry because his cousins were coming to stay with him, but I feel bound to let you know the whole truth about myself. I couldn't possibly say what I was crying for, but I suppose that I was in a weak and morbid state.
"You'll love me still, mother, won't you," I whispered, clinging to her neck; "and you won't let them make me do anything I don't want to?"
Poor mother! If I had only known, that was just the very reason she wanted my cousins to come; but she comforted me, and promised faithfully I should be left to myself as much as I liked.
"They will have their den, as your father calls it, and you needn't go in it unless you like. Now I will go and see about getting it ready. It will want brightening up a bit. Nobody has ever used it since I have lived here, and that is nearly fourteen years. Good-bye, dear; don't read too much."
She had her hand on the door before I could summon courage to speak what was in my mind.
"I've never been in the tower room, mother. Do you think I might go with you, just to see it before they come?"