you will let me; and I want you some time to come and see my
sister."

"I d'n' know! I d'n' know!" said Mrs. Peakslow, still weeping. "_You_
may come _here_,--like to have ye,--only it'll be jest as well if you
time your visits when me an' the gals is alone; you know what men-folks
be."

"You are really an extraordinary girl, Lavinia dear!" Caroline said,
when Vinnie went home and told her story. "Did you know it?"

Vinnie laughed.

"Why, no; I never thought of such a thing; what I do comes so very
natural."

"Extraordinary!" Caroline repeated, regarding her admiringly. "I'm proud
of such a sister. I always told Mr. Betterson there was good blood on
our side too. I wonder what Radcliff would think of you."

Vinnie sincerely believed that so fine a young gentleman would not think
anything of her at all, but feared it might seem like affectation in him
to say so.

"And I wonder," Caroline continued, with the usual simper which her
favorite theme inspired, "what you would think of Radcliff. Ah, Lavinia
dear! it is a comfort for me to reflect that it was a Betterson--nobody
less than a thoroughbred Betterson--who took the place in our family
which you would otherwise have filled."

Evidently Caroline's conscience was not quite easy on the subject of her
early neglect of so "extraordinary" a sister; for she often alluded to
it in this way. Vinnie now begged her not to mention it again.

"And you really cherish no hard feelings?"

"None whatever."

"You are _very_ good. And pretty; did you know it? Quite pretty."

Vinnie laughed again.

"Mrs. Presbit brought me up to the wholesome belief that I was quite
plain."

"That was to prevent you from becoming vain. Vanity, you know," said
Caroline, with her most exquisite simper, "spoils so many girls! I'm
thankful it doesn't run in _our_ family! But didn't your glass undeceive
you?"

"On the contrary, I used to look in it and say to myself, 'It is a very
_common_ face; I _wish_ it was pretty, but Aunt Presbit is right; I'm a
homely little thing!'"

"And you felt bad?"

"I never mourned over it; though, of course, I should have much
preferred to be handsome."

"And hasn't anybody ever told you you _were_ handsome?"

Vinnie blushed.

"Of course I've heard a good deal of nonsense talked now and then."

"Lavinia dear, you _are_ extraordinary. And handsome, though not in the
usual sense of the word. Your face _is_ rather common, in repose, but it
lights up w