“My dear Connie,” she said, “I’m far too full of bad things myself to be able to make any one else better,” and I saw she quite meant it.
A nice little thing happened that afternoon as we were leaving, which was great encouragement to me. It had grown rather chilly, and at the door I was helping mamma on with some extra wraps we had brought.
“You mustn’t catch cold, mamma dear,” I said.
We thought we were alone, but just then Evey ran out again with some forgotten message to mamma, and as they two were speaking I heard voices just behind the inner door.
“I like to see how gentle and tender Connie Percy is to her mother,” one said—it was Mrs Whyte’s. “I might have been sure any girl Lady Honor liked would be that.”
Where were all my unworthy fears that Lady Honor had spoken “against me” to the Whytes?