"Yes, Irene, and I hope you are glad to see me."
"Of course I am, Rosamund. I am always that. But where is my little Agnes? I want her to have some of these ripe plums. She is so fond of plums."
"Well, she oughtn't to have any more, for she ate too many yesterday, and Miss Frost says they don't agree with her."
"As if Frosty knew anything about the matter! I am the person who is going to take care of Agnes in the future. I have settled all that with myself. As to mother, she will do as I wish. I am going to adopt Agnes; I call her my adopted child."
"But that is rather ridiculous, isn't it, Irene, seeing that you are almost the same age?"
"There are two years between us; but then, Agnes is so very small, so petite in every way, and so—so sweet and so defenseless."
"I always thought you did not care for defenseless people, nor for weak people, nor timid people."
"Oh, I like her sort. You see, she believed in me from the first."
"I hope she always will," said Rosamund.
"Well, where is she now?"