"I should not accept from him what might teach my
sons dependence. You see that, Caroline."
"Yes," she humbly said. "He would be wise about it! I don't want to
be disagreeable and oppressive, Robert; I will never try to force
things on you; but please let me do all that is possible to you to
allow."
There was something touching in her incoherent earnestness, which
made the Colonel smile, yet wink away some moisture from his eyes, as
he again thanked her without either acceptance or refusal. Then he
said he was going to Belforest, and asked whether she would not like
to come and look over the place. He would go back and call for her
with the pony carriage.
"But would not Ellen like to go?" she said. "I will walk with the
boys."
The Colonel demurred a little, but knowing that his wife really
longed to go, and could not well be squeezed into the back seat, he
gave a sort of half assent; and as he left the house, Mother Carey
gave a summoning cry to gather her brood, rushed upstairs, put on
what Babie called her "most every dayest old black hat;" and when
Colonel and Mrs. Brownlow, with Jessie behind, drove into the park,
it was to see her careering along by the short cut over the hoar-
frosty grass, in the midst of seven boys, three girls, and two dogs,
all in a most frisky mood of exhilaration.
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