Such schemed as I
had! I was going to be the blessedest step-mother that girl ever had.
That would not be saying much, possibly. Don't we all incline to think
that the second mothers must be wrong, and the sons and daughters
poor abused darlings? But I loved Gracie, you know, and she seemed to
love me, and to be so happy over the thought of our near relationship.
There is very little happiness from any such source during these days.
Gracie has retired into dignity. She can be the most dignified young
woman on occasion that I ever beheld. She is not rude to me, on the
contrary she is ceremoniously polite; calls me Mrs. Dennis, and all
that sort of thing, when necessity compels her to call me anything;
but she speaks as little as possible; sits at table with us three times
a day, when she cannot secure an excuse for absence that her father
will accept; says 'Yes, sir,' and 'No, sir,' obediently to him, and 'No,
ma'am, thank you,' to me, and that is the extent of our conversation.
Generally her face is pale and her eyes red, and at the first possible
moment she begs to be excused, and retires to the privacy of her own
room and locks her door. Her father has stopped her music lessons; at
least she preferred to have them stopped rather than take lessons of
any other person, so she practices no more.
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