My own places were always with gentle-people. Nothing
ever came near her that could spoil her manners. A good heart she
was born with," was the civil reply of Dowie.
"Nothing ever came NEAR her--?" Mrs. James politely checked what
she became conscious was a sort of unconscious exclamation.
"Nothing," said Dowie going on with her sheet hemming steadily.
Robin wrote letters and copied various documents for the Duchess,
she went shopping with her and executed commissions to order.
She was allowed to enter into correspondence with the village
schoolmistress and the wife of the Vicar at Darte Norham and to buy
prizes for notable decorum and scholarship in the school, and baby
linen and blankets for the Maternity Bag and other benevolences. She
liked buying prizes and the baby clothes very much because--though
she was unaware of the fact--her youth delighted in youngness and the
fulfilling of young desires. Even oftener and more significantly
than ever did eyes turn towards her--try to hold hers--look after
her eagerly when she walked in the streets or drove with the
Duchess in the high-swung barouche. More and more she became used
to it and gradually she ceased to be afraid of it and began to feel
it nearly always--there were sometimes exceptions--a friendly thing.
She saw friendliness in it because when she caught sight as she so
often did of young things like herself passing in pairs, laughing
and talking and turning to look into each other's eyes, her being
told her that it was sweet and human and inevitable.
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