"Oh, I beg your pardon, ma'am," answered Kitty. She ran into the next
room, examined herself critically in the glass, arranged her hair,
dipped her hands into hot water, and came back looking spruce, bright,
pretty, and once more restored to the highest good-humor.
"I said yesterday that I would love you, ma'am," she said, as she seated
herself at the other side of the appetizing board. "Oh! what a dear
little pie! I wonder is it pigeon pie"
"No, it is lamb pie," answered Miss Sherrard. "Will you help yourself?"
Kitty cut herself a generous slice.
"I like all sorts of good things," she said. "I am sure I was meant to
do nothing in life but dress well, and look pretty, and have the nicest
food to eat, and----"
"How dare you?" interrupted Miss Sherrard. Her words coming firm and
strong, the expression on her kind face arrested the idle girl's silly
remarks.
"What do you mean?" asked Kitty.
"I mean this, Miss Malone, that you are a girl with a considerable
amount of ability----"
"Oh, now that I have not got."
"With a considerable amount of ability," continued Miss Sherrard, "and
with a great many talents."
"Talents! I thought talents meant genius. Now, I have always and always
been told that I was a dunce of the dunces.
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