"I wish she wouldn't," she said then again softly. "Then you and David and Judy wouldn't."
"Why shouldn't we?" said Norton rather shortly.
"Because, people get too fond of such things. And it ruins them."
"It hasn't ruined me yet," said Norton.
But that was about as far as Matilda could go, and she burst into tears. She kept them back bravely, while they were in the car, but she could not find voice to reply to any of Norton's kind words, which were meant to be very soothing; and as soon as they got home she went straight to her room. Norton went to his mother.
"We have had a splendid confounded time! mamma," he burst out.
"Splendid and confounded?" his mother repeated.
"No, ma'am. Splendidly confounded, I should have said. We went to get grandmamma's present. And Pink, she has contrived to make David and Judy as mad with her as they can be; and that's saying a good deal, when you are talking English. Now how it's to be undone, I don't know. I suppose Pink is crying her eyes out about it. She had no heart to go to Tiffany's or anything. We are going after dinner, though."
"But what is the matter? what has she done, Norton?"
"Came out with temperance and religion, and all that sort of thing, to David and Judy; fancy it, mamma! and more than that, with the very part of religion that they like least of all. Wouldn't help us buy a liqueur stand for grandmamma, because she doesn't think it is right to use cordials."