“But Katie did love the place so, and was so used to it; she had become quite a little queen there before her marriage. See what we women have to give up for you,” she said, playfully, turning to him. But a shadow passed over his face, and he looked away without answering.
“What makes you so sorrowful, dear? What are you thinking of?”
“Oh, nothing.”
“That isn't true. Now, tell me what it is. You have no right, you know, to keep anything from me.”
“I can't bear to think that you have had to sell Gipsy. You have never been without a riding horse till now. You will miss your riding dreadfully, I am sure, dear.”
“I shall do very well without riding. I am so proud of learning my lesson from you. You will see what a poor man's wife I shall make. I have been getting mamma to let me do the house-keeping, and know how a joint should look, and all sorts of useful things. And I have made my own house-linen. I shall soon get to hate all luxuries as much as you do.”
“Now, Mary, you mustn't run into extremes. I never said you ought to hate all luxuries, but that almost everybody one knows is a slave to them.”
“Well, and I hate anything that wants to make a slave of me.”
“You are a dear little free woman. But now we are on this subject again, Mary, I really want to speak to you about keeping a lady's maid. We can quite afford it, and you ought to have one.”
“I shall do nothing of the sort.”