E. Nesbit

“ I do love Uncle Hamley. I do love everybody. What time’s Claud coming?”
“Claud?” Miss Claringbold dropped the corner of the carpet which, with Daphne, she was unfolding.
“He’s——” began Daphne.
“He’s a fairy prince,” said Doris, pulling the brown paper off the brass coal-scuttle handle; “he’s going to marry Daphne!”
“Doris! You are too bad. It’s nothing of the kind. You know it’s not true.” Daphne’s ears were crimson.
“He said so,” said Doris, “he did, he did. The night you dressed up and he was a king and you were a beggar maid. He said so!”
Cousin Jane had sat down very abruptly. ”

“ Claud was saying, “or the Tate perhaps, or both. There are lots of pictures you’d like.”
“I have not been to any picture gallery since I was a young girl,” said Miss Claringbold. “My Cousin James, Daphne’s father, you know, took me four times.”
Claud noted the careful numeral, and in the dry-bones of his duty-kindness, live pity and understanding awoke.
“I am so glad you have come to live with Daphne,” he lied. “If she should be ill—or Doris. And it’s so nice to have someone to show things to—I feel as though you were a distinguished foreigner.” ”

“ UNCLE HAMLEY’S chairs and tables included a carpet, a coal-scuttle, fenders—quite a miscellany of useful objects.
“And,” said Miss Claringbold, “you know, my dear, they’re new, most of them. He must have felt very kindly toward you. He’s certainly bought those brass fenders. And four of them! At the Stores, I shouldn’t wonder.”
“I shouldn’t wonder either,” said Daphne. “Oh, people are nice really, all of them—if you take them the right way.”
“Not Laburnum aunts; they’re not nice,” said Doris, firmly. “Oh, what a beauty rocking chair.” She climbed into it. “I can rock all round the room on it. ”

“ There’s no nonsense of that sort—you’ll see.”
“I may be old-fashioned,” said Cousin Jane, “but——”
“No, you mayn’t,” cried Daphne, “you mayn’t be old-fashioned, not for a minute. Aunt Emily’s old-fashioned. You’re going to be new, new, new—like Doris and me. Don’t you see, Laburnum Villa was arranged on purpose for people to be unhappy in. Fitzroy Street’s arranged for people to do as they like.”
This was true, and discreet Fate decreed that neither Daphne nor Cousin Jane should ever, in all their experience of Fitzroy Street, have the least little glimmering of the extent to which it was true. ”

“ Claud was throwing himself more and more energetically into his part. He looked across to where Daphne and Green Eyes, deep in talk together, absently kept up the ball of a conversation with Doris. “Daphne and Doris and I are going into the country for a day soon—of course you’ll come too. It will be most awfully nice. I’m sure you love the country.” ”

“ Ives, and the Welsh mountains, and his mother and his “work,” and never seemed to notice that she was a person whom people had not been used to speak to unless they wanted her to do something for them. Miss Claringbold watched anxiously for any signs of what she would have called the tender passion, and surprised Claud’s open secret in the first five minutes. But she looked in vain for any corresponding manifestation from Daphne.
“Poor young man,” she said to herself. “Well, perhaps she’ll be a good influence.” ”

“ About the old man who had lived next door, and cared for nothing only to collect pins. “He stuck them into his coat-sleeves, dear, rows and rows and rows of them, till his arm looked as if it were encased in silver armour, it did indeed.” ”

“ Cousin Jane asked, adorned by a new bonnet and delightful anticipations.
“No, really not,” said Daphne, seeing her off on the stairs.
“Oh, do come,” Claud pleaded, “it’ll do you good. There’s nothing like the gallery to cure a headache. Do come.”
“Really not,” Daphne answered, a little crossly. “
Everyone will be horribly disappointed, but I suppose you know best,” Claud said, in a really quite broken-hearted way. “Seddon is coming, and Henry and——”
Daphne did not hear who else was coming.
She went back into her room, with Doris’s arms round her waist. ”