"No; not exactly that."
"Then nearly that?"
"No; not a bit that. Only you must see for yourself how awfully uncomfortable you'll be here, and what a horrid house this is."
"My dear Madge"--everybody called her Madge, so I did--"even if I wanted to go, which I don't--and I would remind you that you contracted to give me an old-fashioned Christmas--I don't see where there is that I could go."
"Of course, there's that. I don't see, either. So I suppose you'll have to stay. But I hope you won't think that I meant you to come to a place like this--really, you know."
"I'm sorry; I had hoped you had."
"That's not what I mean. I mean that if I had thought that you were coming, I would have seen that things were different."
"How different? I assure you that things as they are have a charm of their own."
"That's what you say. You don't suppose that I'm so silly as not to know you're laughing at me? But as I was the whole cause of your coming, I hope you won't hate the others because of me."
She marched off, brushing back, with an impatient gesture, some rebellious locks which had strayed upon her forehead.