'Every one I care for goes away and changes,' she said in her
melancholy little sentiment.
'But it's only for a fortnight, Dolly, I don't think I could change so
fast.'
'Oh yes, you will, among all those swells. You like Fly ever so much
better than me.'
Mysie looked grieved and puzzled, but then exclaimed, in the tone of a
discovery, 'There are different sorts of likings, Dolly, don't you see.
I do love Fly very much, but you know you are like a sort of almost
twin sister to me. I like her best, but I care about you most!'
With which curious distinction Dolores had to put up.
CHAPTER XIX.
A SADDER AND A WISER AUTHORESS.
Colonel Mohun took Wilfred to his school, which began its term earlier
than did Jasper's, and Silver-ton was wonderfully quiet. The elder
Mrs. Merrifield was not to come for nearly a week, so that it would
have been possible for her daughter-in-law to go to the Rotherwood
festivities without interfering with her visit, but this no one except
Gillian and Mysie knew, and they kept the secret well.
The departure of the boys was a great relief to Dolores. Her aunt did
not rank her with Valetta and Fergus, but let her consort with herself
and Gillian, and this suited her much better. Even Gillian allowed
that she was ever so much nicer when there was no one to tease her. It
was true that Jasper certainly, and perhaps Wilfred, would not have
molested her if she had not offended the latter, and offered herself as
fair game; but Gillian, who had to forestall and prevent their pranks,
could not feel their absence quite the privation her sisterly spirit
usually did!
Valetta and Fergus were harmless without them, but they were forlorn,
being so much used to having their sports led by their two seniors that
they hardly knew what to do without them, and the entreaty, or rather
the whine, 'I want something to do,' was heard unusually often.
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