"Are you better, my dear?" asked she, affectionately.
"Yes, it was only the room," said Elvira.
"You are a good deal there, are not you?" said Miss Ogilvie to Mary,
who had the white flabby look of being kept in an unwholesome
atmosphere.
"Yes," said Mary, wistfully, "but grandpapa does not like having me
half so much as Elvira. He is always talking about her."
"You had better come back to him now, Elfie," said Miss Ogilvie.
"It makes me ill," said Elvira, with her crossest look.
Her governess laid her hand on her shoulder, and told her in a few
decided words, in the lowest possible voice, that she was not going
away till she had taken a properly respectful and affectionate leave
of her grandfather. Whereupon she knew further resistance was of no
use, and going hastily to the door of the room, called out—-
"Good-bye, then, grandpapa."
"Ah! my little beauty, are you there?" he asked, in a tone of
bewildered pleasure, holding out the one hand he could use.
Elvira was forced to let herself be held by it. She hoped to kiss
his brow, and escape; but the poor knotted fingers which had once
been so strong, would not let her go, and she had to endure many more
kisses and caresses and blessings than her proud thoughtless nature
could endure before she made her escape.
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