"Ada," said Aunt Elizabeth, suddenly, as she sipped it, "what was Dr.
Denbigh's wife like?"
"Why," said mother, "I'd almost forgotten he had a wife, it was so long
ago. She died in the first year of their marriage."
Aunt Elizabeth laughed a little, almost as if no one were there. "He
began to talk about her quite suddenly this morning," she said. "It
seems Peg reminds him of her. He is devoted to her memory. That's what
he said--devoted to her memory."
"That's good," said mother, cheerfully, as if she didn't know quite
what to say. "More letters, Lily? Any for us?" I could see mother was
very tender of her for some reason, or she never would have called her
Lily.
"For me," said Aunt Elizabeth, as if she were tired. "From Mrs.
Chataway. A package, too. It looks like visiting-cards. That seems to
be from her, too." She broke open the package. "Why!" said she, "of all
things! Why!"
"That's pretty engraving," said mother, looking over her shoulder. She
must have thought they were Aunt Elizabeth's cards. "Why! of all
things!"
Aunt Elizabeth began to flush pink and then scarlet. She looked as
pretty as a rose, but a little angry, I thought. She put up her head
rather haughtily. "Mrs. Chataway is very eccentric," she said. "A
genius, quite a genius in her own line. Ada, I won't come down to
luncheon.
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