"
"Rather! and, naturally, you take it from her still."
"I don't contradict her. What else can I do?"
"Nothing in the world! You've the cleverest little person to deal with.
They've made them--their two friends, I mean--still cleverer
even than nature did; for it was wondrous material to play on!
Flora has now her grievance, and she'll work it to the end."
"Yes, miss; but to WHAT end?"
"Why, that of dealing with me to her uncle. She'll make me out to him
the lowest creature--!"
I winced at the fair show of the scene in Mrs. Grose's face;
she looked for a minute as if she sharply saw them together.
"And him who thinks so well of you!"
"He has an odd way--it comes over me now," I laughed,"--of proving it!
But that doesn't matter. What Flora wants, of course, is to get rid of me."
My companion bravely concurred. "Never again to so much as look at you."
"So that what you've come to me now for," I asked, "is to speed me on
my way?" Before she had time to reply, however, I had her in check.
"I've a better idea--the result of my reflections. My going WOULD seem
the right thing, and on Sunday I was terribly near it. Yet that won't do.
It's YOU who must go. You must take Flora."
My visitor, at this, did speculate. "But where in the world--?"
"Away from here. Away from THEM. Away, even most of all, now, from me.
Straight to her uncle.
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