Nevertheless, she worded the letter in such a manner that she felt almost convinced Valentine would not come.
Winnie’s visit had upset Mrs. Pennington very much. Matrimony had enforced all Winnie’s little peculiarities.
Mrs. Pennington had had no intention of reproaching her daughter, and, indeed, on the contrary, she had shown a pleasure and eagerness to see Winnie again. Mothers have a trick of forgetting and forgiving where others would be less amenable.
But Winnie did nothing to minister to the sorrow that reigned in her mother’s heart. She was cold, unsympathetic and self-centered.
Polly caught her mother shedding bitter tears after Winnie had gone, and the girl’s heart had ached with a new ache.
She had knelt and wrapped her slender young arms about that mother.
“My darling, precious love!” she whispered. “You are not going to grieve any more, are you? You are going to give me all your worries in the future. Remember, you promised me this.”
Mrs. Pennington had responded to the girl’s tenderness, but the tears would flow.
“Are you so much stronger than I? Are you not weak and sorrowful as I am, Polly, darling?” Then it was that she had spoken out her desire to see Valentine Ambleton again. Her eager repetition of the wish showed Polly only too clearly that her mother had truly need of stronger help and sympathy than she could furnish.
But with her sweet readiness to think of others, Polly quickly began to see how natural and necessary it was for her mother to long for this man’s friendship.