Then her mother, who hadn't been talking very much, said that Peggy
didn't realize the depth of Maria's affection for her, and what a good
sister she had been, and how she had taken care of Peggy the winter
that Peggy was ill--and then she couldn't help saying that, bad as was
this affair about Harry Goward, it wasn't like the anxiety one felt
about a sick child; there were times when she felt that she could bear
anything if Charles Edward's health were only properly looked after. Of
course Lorraine was young and inexperienced, but if she would only use
her influence with him--
Alice broke off suddenly, and said she had to go--it was just as Dr.
Denbigh's little auto was coming down the street. She dashed out of the
door and bowed to him from the crossing, quite like a young lady, for
all her short skirts--she really did look fetching! Dr. Denbigh smiled
at her, but not the way he used to smile at Peggy. I really thought he
cared for Peggy once, though he's so much older that nobody else seemed
to dream of such a thing.
Of course, after Alice went, I just sat there in the chair all humped
up, thinking of her last words.
The family are always harping on "Lorraine's influence." If they wanted
their dear Charles Edward made different from the way he is, why on
earth didn't they do it themselves, when they had the chance? That's
what I want to know! I know they mean to be nice to me, but they take
it for granted that every habit Charles Edward has or hasn't, and
everything he does or doesn't, is because I didn't do something that I
ought to have done, or condoned something that I ought not.
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