"Are you asking as a philosopher," said the Colonel, amused by her
tone
"I don't know what you mean, Colonel," said his wife. "I offered
Caroline a basket of magnum bonums for preserving, and one would
think I had said something very extraordinary."
"Perhaps it is my cockney ignorance," said Caroline, beginning to
breathe freely, and thinking it would have been less oppressive if
Sua Serenita would have either laughed or scolded, instead of gravely
leading her past the red-baize door which shut out the lower regions
to the room where white armies of jam-pots stood marshalled, and in
the midst two or three baskets of big yellow plums, which awoke in
her a remembrance of their name, and set her laughing, thanking, and
preparing to carry home the basket.
This, however, as she was instantly reminded, was not country-town
manners. The gardener was to be sent with them, and Ellen herself
would copy out the recipe, and by-and-by bring it, with full
directions.
Each lady felt herself magnanimously forbearing, as Caroline went
home to the lessons, and Ellen repaired to her husband on his morning
inspection of his hens and chickens.
"Poor thing," she said, "there are great allowances to be made for
her. I believe she wishes to do right.
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