H. B. Marriott Watson

“ Understandings, as we know, Evelyn, are nothing to speak of, while engagements are—well, something. Ours had never, so to speak, materialised—it depended on—on conditions, I suppose. Upon my word, I do not know what it depended on."
"Will you forgive me for hurting you?" asked the invisible Evelyn.
"Why, with all my heart, my dear," responded the man promptly. "I will not deny it hurts, but I can safely deny that I am spiteful." He paused again and then said in a shorter voice: "I suppose it's Holdway?" ”

“ But Lady Molly was too practical to dwell long among regrets, and, moreover, she was comforted by the growth of an insidious idea in her mind that she might possibly be better than the doll-like figures in another style. ”

“ It's rot for Evelyn to talk as she did," went on Molly. "She's a sneak, and wants to hook on to old Holdway because of his money."
Once again did the man wince.
"I must make a note of the name of that book," he said. "What was it, again, Molly?"
"Of course, you are rather old for Evelyn," pursued the girl, scrutinising him. "But I'd sooner you had her than anyone else."
"Thanks," ejaculated Tiggy, smiling faintly. "I would have looked after her as a father."
"It's better to be old and good, Tiggy, than to be young and wicked." ”

“ Molly would have despised her mother's advice where she would have welcomed and accepted Lydia's. She escaped with difficulty, owing to the fact that on the threshold, as she was stealing forth, she encountered the governess, Miss Lyne, and the family, in descending grades, from Delia of fifteen to Marjorie of six.
"Where are you going?" asked Cecily, the nine-year-old girl. "She's no right to go, even if she has got her hair up, has she, Miss Lyne? You can't go alone, Molly," she called out.
"Little children should not meddle with what doesn't concern them," said Molly with dignity. ”

“ He stood in rapt attention while Marjory came down, and, disregarding the officious services of the footman, approached to watch Delia descend. Thereupon there was a pause. Molly looked at him defiantly.
"Next, please," said Sir George; but even Frank was abashed by the unexpected appearance of a stranger.
"I suppose you think this is a childish amusement?" said Molly with hauteur.
"By Jove, no!" exclaimed Sir George with haste.
"It isn't any more foolish than skating or golf," she went on, somewhat mollified by his admission.
"Of course not—jolly foolish game, golf!" said Sir George. ”

“ But Frank's remark was cut short by a push from his sister.
"One has sometimes to amuse the children," said Molly loftily.
"Naturally," agreed Sir George. "Awfully good of you, I'm sure!"
"She does it better than any of us but me!" interjected Marjory's shrill voice.
"I don't, you little——" began Molly, but stopped herself and smiled blandly on Sir George. "Of course, I can do it," she observed. "There's really a good deal of skill necessary. The balance is the main thing." ”

“ Men don't like women's women, my dear, as you'll find out. They've got their own ideas, and——" here she once more let her glance stray over herself, "they're not likely to be yours."
"Well," said Molly, with a little laugh, for Lydia at that moment struck her as being "too conceited for anything"—"I want one man's to be mine." ”

“ Why can you not give me credit for common honesty? Directly I found out I had misunderstood my feelings, I came to you. You owe me thanks, really, Roger, for that."
"Yes, I suppose I owe you thanks, as you say, and I beg to tender them. ”

“ I didn't know what you were going to talk of; and I nearly fell off the ladder, trying to keep still."
"Perhaps it would have been better if you had not tried to keep still, and even if you had fallen off the ladder," remarked Tiggy with an air of deliberation.
"She's a beast!" said Molly, deserting the subject.
"I don't think we'll discuss Evelyn, Molly, if you don't mind," said the man mildly.
"And don't you believe her. It is Holdway. I've asked the children since I got back," continued Molly triumphantly. ”

“ Tiggy examined her. "Yes," he said deliberately, " you've grown more grown-up."
That was good hearing, because it promised longer frocks and earlier emancipation. The hair had gone up, but the frocks had not gone down—at all events, sufficiently to please Molly. This accounted for her resumption of an ancient pastime common to the young Calverleys, male and female, which was known as "shooting the shoot," and consisted in sliding down the banisters. It was odd that Sir George should have entered while this sport was in full swing. ”

“ She took no notice of Marjory or Frank, and condescendingly patted Delia on the shoulder.
"My dear girl," she called her, and expressed a languid opinion as to the superiority of blue ribbon over pink for Delia's hair. "They can't keep me from being out now," she thought to herself with glee; "and that's another for Evelyn," she concluded. ”

“ Yet the approbation of her own sex is more soothing to a woman than the admiration of the other, and Molly was inspirited and encouraged to resume her operations. It became less difficult as Sir George took it into his head not to keep orthodox hours in his visits, and on several occasions Evelyn was out. ”