ame infectious where no
very serious troubles were concerned.
"'People must have their little weaknesses,' she said, 'and I am sure
they haven't many failings.'
"'This weakness is so unworthy of them,' I complained.
"'All good people's weaknesses are unworthy of them, my dear. And the
better they are, the more unworthy the weakness appears. Now, Mary, do
be reasonable! You know at the bottom how true they are, and how fond
of you. Pray allow them a few fidgety fancies, poor old dears. No
doubt we shall be just as fidgety when we are as old. I'm sure I shall
have as many fancies as hairs in my wig, and as to you, considering
how little things weigh on your mind now--'
"Fatima's reasoning was not conclusive, but I think I came at last to
believe that Miss Brooke's distrust was creditable to herself, and
complimentary to me--so it certainly must have been convincing.
"'And now,' she concluded, 'come upstairs and forget it. For I have
got two new ideas on which I want your opinion. The first is a new
stitch, in which I purpose to work some muslin dresses for us both. I
thought of it in bed this morning. The second is a new plan for
braiding your hair, which came into my head whilst father was reading
aloud that speech to us last night. I had just fastened up the last
plait when he laid down the paper.'
"'You absurd Fatima!' I cried. 'How could you! And it was so
interesting!'
"'Don't look shocked,' said Fatima. 'I shall never be a politician. Of
all studies, that of politics seems to me the most disturbing and
uncomfortable. If some angel, or inspired person would tell me which
side was in the right, and whom to believe in, I could be a capital
partisan. As it is, I don't worry myself with it; and last night when
you were looking flushed and excited at the end of the speech, I was
calmly happy--'
"'But, Fatima,' I broke in, 'you don't mean to say--'
"'If it had lasted five minutes longer,' said Fatima, 'I should have
comfortably decided whether ferns or ivy would combine better with the
loops.'
"'But, Fatima! were you really not listening when--'
"'On the whole I decide for ivy,' said Fatima, and danced out of the
room, I following and attempting one more remonstrance in the hall.
"'But, Fatima!--'
"'With perhaps a suspicion of white chrysanthemums,' she added over
the banisters.
"Both the new ideas promised to be successful, and the following
evening my hair was dressed in what Fatima now c
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