'
To her surprise, Mysie turned round to Lady Merrifield, who was looking
at some exercises that Miss Vincent had laid before her.
'Mamma,' she said, 'is it fair that Dolores should read our books, if
she won't give you up hers to look over, and be like ours?'
'Mysie,' said Lady Merrifield, 'you can't expect Dolores to like all
our home plans till she is used to them. No, my dear, you need not be
afraid; you shall keep your books in your own room, and nobody shall
meddle with them. I am sure your cousins would not wish to be so
unkind as to deprive you of the use of theirs.'
By the time Dolores had made up her mind to take 'Tom Brown,' it was
time for the general flight to prepare for dinner, and she found her
room made to look very pleasant, and almost homelike, for her books and
little knickknacks had been put out, not quite as she preferred, but
still so as to make the place seem like her own. She was pleased
enough to be quite gracious to Mysie and Val who came to visit her, and
to offer to let them read any of her books; when they both thanked her
and said--
'If mamma lets us.'
'Oh, then you won't have them,' said Dolores; 'I'm not going to let her
have my books to take away.'
'You don't think she would take them away, when she said she wouldn't?'
said Mysie, hotly.
'Why, what would she do if she didn't happen to approve of them?'
'Only tell us not to read them.'
'And wouldn't you?'
'Why, Dolores!' in such a tone as made her ashamed of her question; and
she said, 'Well, father never makes any fuss about what I read.
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