know how beautiful your southern tongue sounds to me, Cousin Mildred.
You say 'kin' just as my mother does and as I do. I am laughed at by my
English friends for my way of speaking their language, but I would not
give up my southern accent for worlds."

Dinner was announced, interrupting Philippe, and they made their way to
the _salle a manger_. The marquis gave his arm to Mrs. Brown; Judy fell
to the share of the handsome young son; and the marchioness put her arm
affectionately around Molly's waist.

"My dear," she said, "having you with us is a pleasure, indeed. I wish I
had a daughter just like you. I think your mother might spare you to me.
She has two other daughters and four sons. That is too much for any
woman."

"You had better not say that to mother," laughed Molly. "The only time I
ever saw her lose her temper with Aunt Clay, who would try the patience
of a saint, was when Aunt Clay intimated that it would be much more
economical if there had been only half of us, three children and a half
instead of seven. I was a tiny little girl, but I can remember how I
crawled under the table I was so scared. I had never seen mother get
really mad before and she turned on Aunt Clay in such a rage that I felt
sorry for her. You know it must have been pretty bad if I felt sorry for
Aunt Clay, for she is the one person in the world I can't like."

"Molly, we are alike in more ways than one! She is an abomination unto
me! Sarah Clay made my childhood unhappy. You see, I had no regular home
as my mother and I were very poor. We spent much of our time visiting
and Cousin George Carmichael, your grandfather, was goodness itself to
us. The Carmichael place was more like home than any other to me. I
simply loved it and spent many happy hours playing with your dear
mother; but Sarah never lost a chance to rub it in on me that I was in a
measure a dependent. As a child it would cut me to the quick; but as I
got older and made my visits at Cousin George's, I would retaliate by
making game of my older cousin; and no one can abide being made fun of.
I tell you I gave her tit for tat and usually came out ahead. But we
must stop this whispering. Your mother can't stand any criticism of her
sister. Some day we can get together and say all the mean things we've a
mind to about old Sarah!" Then the marchioness was transformed in the
twinkling of an eye from the naughty Sally Boiling to the gracious
hostess, seeing that her guests were