said that that word "sensitive" was
often used when "selfish" would be much more applicable. I thought it
horrid of her at the time, but I expect, like most hard things, it is
true. Now if you didn't think of yourself at all but only and wholly of
others, it would be your one aim through life to make them happy, and no
effort would be too difficult if it succeeded in doing that. Then
people would talk about you and say you were "the sunshine of the home,"
and your parents would bless you with their latest breath, and people
who had misjudged you would flock round and sit at your knee, and profit
by your example. I should like to be like that. It would be so lovely
and so soothing to the feelings.

The doctor came at noon and allowed me to be lifted on to the sofa and
wheeled into the next room. It made a change, but it was a very long
day, all the same, and I thought the afternoon would never come to an
end. Rachel came in and out the room, but could never settle down, for
as soon as she sat down, rat-tat came to the door, someone said, "Miss
Rachel, please," and off she flew to do something else.

Mrs Greaves brought some sewing and sat beside me, but she can't talk,
poor dear; she can only make remarks at intervals and sigh between them,
and it isn't cheerful. At tea-time Mr Greaves appeared, and--well, he
_is_ a curious creature! I have always been taught that it is mean to
accept hospitality, "eat salt," as the proverb has it, and then speak
unkindly of your host, and, of course, I wouldn't to anyone else, but to
you, O diary, I must confess that I'm truly and devoutly thankful he is
not my father.

He has a great big face, and a great big voice, and very little manners,
and I believe he enjoys, really thoroughly enjoys, bullying other
people, and seeing them miserable. He was quite nice to me in the way
of sympathising with my foot, and saying that he was pleased to see me;
but I felt inclined to shake him when he went on to speak of "The Moat,"
and of all we had done that we should not have done, and left undone
that we should have done, and of what _he_ would have done in our place;
making out, if you please, that the fire was all our fault, and that we
deserved it if we _were_ burnt out of house and home!

Rachel poured tea on the troubled waters, and he snubbed her for her
pains and called his wife "madam," and wished to know if she had nothing
fit to eat to offer to her guest. There were about t