She had been trying in this quiet interval to get Dolly to read
something besides mere childish stories for recreation; and when she
saw how well worn the story books were, and how untouched the 'easy
history,' and the books about animals and foreign countries were, she
saw why so clever a girl as Dolores seemed so stupid about everything
she had not learnt as a lesson, and entirely ignorant of English
poetry.
Lady Merrifield read to her and Gillian in the evenings, and how they
did enjoy it, and bemoaned the coming of grandmamma, to spoil their
snugness and occupy 'mamma.' For Dolores began so to call Lady
Merrifield. She had never so termed her own mother, and it seemed to
her that with the words 'Aunt Lily' she put away all sorts of foolish,
sinister feelings.
'Mrs. Merrifield was a wonderful old lady, brisk of mind and body,
though of great age. She had been spending Christmas with her eldest
son, the Admiral, at Stokesley, and was going to take on her way the
daughter-in-law, of whom she knew but little in comparison; and with
her she brought the granddaughter, Elizabeth Merrifield, who--since her
own daughter had died--generally lived with her in London, to take care
of her.
'It will be all company and horrid, and nobody will be allowed to make
a noise!' sighed Valetta to Fergus, as the waggonette, well shut up,
drove to the door.
'There's cousin Bessie,' said Fergus.
'Oh, cousin Bessie is thirty-four, and that is as bad as being as old
as grandmamma!'
And they hung back while the old lady was helped out, and brought
across the hall into the warm drawing-room before her fur cloak was
taken off.
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