She couldnot put up with it and she
wouldnt.
Aunt Wellington carried off four of thebuttons,
generously leaving two for Valancy. Valancy sat through thewhole service in an agony
of dread and was sick for a weekafterwards.
If I could only havehad that hour Id be willing to
die.
Valancy had wanted a hat like that more thanshe had
ever wanted anything.
Yelling and blaspheming like a fiend, shuddered
Cousin Sticklesat the breakfast-table.
She wastoo terrified to do anything
else.
She glared significantly at Valancy through her
terrible glasses.
Frederick stillsuspected her of harbouring the
unlawful desire in her heart ofhearts.
Valancy had never had a pink dress orworn flowers
in her hair. I only said the bush was mine, repeated Valancy humbly.
In thosedays in Deerwood that was enough to wreck
your character forever. Frederick herself might have said, Providential. All that
came of it was a wild story thatValancy Stirling was rouged at Margaret Blunts
party.
She had never referred to it since, but
Mrs.
There were so many Sundays Valancy had tostay home
because she had colds.
Frederick and Cousin Stickles had noticed a few
thingsthat made them uneasy BEFORE the dinner. She had made such patheticefforts to
be pretty that night.
She had made such patheticefforts to be pretty that
night. She was ruthlessly sweptaside, her dust-pile scooped up and poured on
Olives.
Theres nothing like RedfernsBitters for building a
body up.
The affair of the button-string, when she was
ten.
Frederick was one of those women who can make their
anger feltall over a house. What have you got against the Anglican church? What a
luxury it will be totell the truth! Shecould not have any one see this
letter.
Cousin James says the Purple Pillsare the best, but
I know better.
SHE went on dream sprees in her Blue Castle.
Valancy got up and dressed, with a deepening of that curious senseof freedom.