Sue’s eyes grew wild, she clung to Tessa with both hands. “You sha’n’t talk so to me. You sha’n’t. You make me afraid. I’ll try to be good. I will try.”
“How will you try?”
“I won’t try to make him like me. I am sure that he would if I should try a little. I’ll tell him about Stacey. Tessa, I don’t want to be an old maid.”
Tessa’s eyes and lips kept themselves grave.
“I wouldn’t think about that. I’d do good and be good; I’d help Aunt Jane, and go with your father on his long drives—”
“I’d rather go with Dr. Lake.”
“Let your father see what a delightful daughter you can be. My father and I can talk for hours about books and places and people.”
“Hateful! I hate books. And I don’t know about places and book-people.”
“And don’t wait for Dr. Lake to come in at night.”