ome your dear grandmother considers me so much--she only thinks
of everything as it affects me, but it makes it so that I can't always
show what I feel, for if I do she gets ill. All _I_ can think of is
Peggy. If you knew what it was to me just now when my little Peggy went
away from me and locked herself in her room--Peggy, who all her life has
always come to me for comfort--"

She stopped for a minute, and I patted her. It was so unlike my
mother-in-law to speak in this way; she's usually so self-contained that
it made me sort of awestruck. After a moment she went on in a different
voice:

"They all want me to tell Cyrus--your father--that Aunt Elizabeth has
been trying to take Mr. Goward's affections away from Peggy. I'm afraid
it's just what she has been doing, though it seems incredible that she
should have any attraction for a young man. I was glad Elizabeth had
gone away overnight, for Maria is in such a state I don't know what
might have happened."

"And don't you want to tell--father?" I gulped, but I knew I must say
it. "Why not, Madonna?"

She shook her head, with that look that makes you feel sometimes that
she isn't just the gentle and placid person that she appears to be. I
seemed to catch a glimpse of something very clear and strong. If I could
paint her with an expression like that I'd make my fortune.

"No, Lorraine. If it was about anybody but your aunt Elizabeth I would,
but I can't speak against her. It's her home as well as mine; I've
always realized that. I made up my mind, when I married, that I never
would come between brother and sister, and I never have. Aunt Elizabeth
doesn't know how many times I have smoothed matters over for her, how
many times Cyrus has been provoked because he thought she didn't show
enough consideration for me. I have always loved Aunt Elizabeth, and
I believed she loved us--but when I saw my Peggy to-day, Lorraine, I
couldn't go and tell your father about Aunt Elizabeth while I feel as I
do now! I couldn't be just. If I made him angry with her--"

She stopped, and I didn't need to have her go on. My father-in-law is
one of those big, kind, sensible, good-natured men who, when they do
get angry, go clear off the handle, and are so absolutely furious and
unreasonable you can't do anything with them. He got that way at Peter
once--but it makes me so furious myself when I think of it that I never
do.

"And, Lorraine," Madonna went on, quite simply, "bringing all thi