Page 529 - LITTLE WOMEN

Little Women

Mrs. Chester fancied beforehand that it would be easy
to deliver this little speech, but when the time came, she
found it rather difficult to utter it naturally, with Amy’s
unsuspicious eyes looking straight at her full of surprise

and trouble.
‘Amy felt that there was something behind this, but
would not guess what, and said quietly, feeling hurt, and
showing that she did, ‘Perhaps you had rather I took no
table at all?’
‘Now, my dear, don’t have any ill feeling, I beg. It’s
merely a matter of expediency, you see, my girls will
naturally take the lead, and this table is considered their
proper place. I think it very appropriate to you, and feel
very grateful for your efforts to make it so pretty, but we
must give up our private wishes, of course, and I will see
that you have a good place elsewhere. Wouldn’t you like
the flower table? The little girls undertook it, but they are
discouraged. You could make a charming thing of it, and
the flower table is always attractive you know.’
‘Especially to gentlemen,’ added May, with a look
which enlightened Amy as to one cause of her sudden fall
from favor. She colored angrily, but took no other notice
of that girlish sarcasm, and answered with unexpected
amiability...

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