Frances Hodgson Burnett

“ She would give them to Cathie, and took as much pride in dressing the girl up to her fanciful notions as Cathie took in being dressed; but though she was always sweet and pretty enough, no dressing ever made Cathie look like Fulvia. She had not her odd, fiery way and quick motions to begin with, and though Fulvia always looked better for her high -heeled French shoes, with their buckles and rosettes, and the grand French dresses, with their trimmings and furbelows, I always thought Cathie seemed more at home in the plain frocks I had always seen her wear. ”

“ Between Cathie and her there was a sort of coldness, though I always thought the fault lay more on Cathie's side than on Fulvia's this time. The fact was, Cathie blamed her for the way she had treated Alex, and blamed her, too, for being the cause of his going away, for Alex had been Cathie's idol, and she could not bear the idea of losing him, and fretted dreadfully.
"It is all her fault that he is going into the world without a friend, Norah," she would say. "I used to care for Fulvia, but I shall never care for her again if Alex leaves us." ”

“ But she never told such stories before Alex, I noticed. I used to think sometimes that she did not like him, for though she made friends with Cathie in time, she never made friends with Alex, and never even altered her scornful way toward him. But that Alex liked her it was very easy to see. In his stay-at-home, careless life, he had seen very few women except the red-cloaked colleens who rode to market in their jaunting cars with butter and eggs to sell; and Fulvia Desmond's high-handed way was the very thing to take the fancy of my light-hearted, easy-natured Alex. ”

“ Fulvia turned her shoulder upon her snappishly, and held her bit of a slipper over the fire to warm.
"No," she said. "What should I be angry with him for? I don't care anything about him. He has nothing to do with me."
But, being a little out of patience with her, I fired up a trifle myself and spoke out.
"Then, if you are not vexed with Alex, what do you snap at him for?" I said. "Snap at those who fret you, and not at those who don't. You are too ready with your tongue, it seems to me, Fulvia Desmond." ”

“ I have seen a great many English, and Irish, and Scotch girls in my time, and I never saw an English, Irish or Scotch girl who could flare up and fly into a passion and out of one in a breath as Fulvia Desmond could, and be so daring in a highhanded, scornful way. ”

“ He is old enough to take care of himself, and not live here, from year to year, hunting and fishing, and spending other people's money. I am only a woman, but I would not live here if I had money of my own. I don't blame Cathie; but I only came to Ballomuith because I wanted to hide away from everybody and be out of the way of the world. A man has no right to live as he is doing—and that makes me hate him, too."
I did not say very much in answer to that speech, either. I had determined to leave everything to Alex, and, perhaps, I was not really sorry for the last part of her outbreak. ”

“ I am going to Australia, for Fulvia's sake."
Fulvia did start then in honest truth, and she changed color, too, but she did not look at him, and he went on talking, and the queer part of it was that, though he was talking to Cathie, he was watching Fulvia all the time.
"I am going for Miss Fulvia's sake, Cathie," he said; "and it was she put it into my head to go, though she never said a word to me about it. Fulvia thinks a man has no right to live the life I have been living, and she is right. ”

“ Cathie had been gone to bed full an hour, and Alex and I had been talking together for a long time, and she was still sitting there when Alex got up to go, too, and he had bidden her good night and reached the door before she said a word. But as he laid his hand upon the handle, I saw her face flash up and turn white, and her breast began to heave, and then all in a minute it seemed she sprang up and turned on him like some wild, hunted thing at bay.
"Stay!" she said. "Come back! Norah, make him come back." ”

“ Cathie might for a day or so, but nobody else would."
I did not take any notice of this speech, because I thought best to let it pass; so I turned quietly to the subject I wanted to clear up.
"What made you quarrel with Alex the other day?" I said. "He is always good-natured enough with you."
"I didn't quarrel with him," she said. "Why can't he let me alone?"
"He never troubles you," I said.
She stopped crying all in a minute, and lifted her face up and looked at me.
"You don't know what you are talking about," now she said. "I am not Catharine Muith; I am Fulvia Desmond." ”

“ He"—she meant Alex—"knows I am not like Cathie, and I hate him for it. I hate him!"
She was shaking all over with sobs, and when I tried to comfort her I knew very well that nothing I could say would have any effect. She would have reasoned out of them in a night, so I said very little, though what I did say was to the point, and at last she sobbed and raged herself quiet, with her face still hidden.
"And then, what does he stay here for?" she broke out resentfully. "He is not a child, he is a man. What right has he to let Mr. Muith take care of him? ”

“ Cathie broke into a little cry and sat up, staring at him with a frightened face.
"You are not in real earnest, Alex," she burst out. "You cannot mean what you say. You are joking us."
He shook his yellow curls back from his forehead, still looking at Fulvia. ”

“ I choose to have one gentleman in the family, and I am going to have one; and if you are not willing to fill the position, you can go to Australia or to the devil, and I will find someone who will fill it, for you don't get a shilling from me—so there the matter ends. ”