elf may be still in a position to pick up. Mine now, don't you
see? is in making out how I can manage for this. Of course it's rather
difficult," the girl pursued, "for me to tell you exactly what I mean."

"Oh but it isn't a bit difficult for me to understand you!" Vanderbank
spoke, in his geniality, as if this were in fact the veriest trifle.
"You've got your mother on your mind. That's very much what I mean by
your conscience."

Nanda had a fresh hesitation, but evidently unaccompanied at present
by any pain. "Don't you still LIKE mamma?" she at any rate quite
successfully brought out. "I must tell you," she quickly subjoined,
"that though I've mentioned my talk with her as having finally led to my
writing to you, it isn't in the least that she then suggested my putting
you the question. I put it," she explained, "quite off my own bat."

The explanation, as an effect immediately produced, did proportionately
much for the visitor, who sat back in his chair with a pleased--a
distinctly exhilarated--sense both of what he himself and what Nanda had
done. "You're an adorable family!"

"Well then if mother's adorable why give her up? This I don't mind
admitting she did, the day I speak of, let me see that she feels you've
done; but without suggesting either--not a scrap, please believe--that I
should make you any sort of scene about it. Of course in the first place
she knows perfectly that anything like a scene would be no use. You
couldn't make out even if you wanted," Nanda went on, "that THIS is one.
She won't hear us--will she?--smashing the furniture. I didn't think for
a while that I could do anything at all, and I worried myself with that
idea half to death. Then suddenly it came to me that I could do just
what I'm doing now. You said a while ago that we must never be--you
and I--anything but frank and natural. That's what I said to myself
also--why not? Here I am for you therefore as natural as a cold in
your head. I just ask you--I even press you. It's because, as she said,
you've practically ceased coming. Of course I know everything changes.
It's the law--what is it?--'the great law' of something or other. All
sorts of things happen--things come to an end. She has more or less--by
his marriage--lost Mitchy. I don't want her to lose everything. Do stick
to her. What I really wanted to say to you--to bring it straight out--is
that I don't believe you thoroughly know how awfully she likes you. I
hope my saying s