Little Women - 912 Freedom Library

Little WomenMrs. Chester fancied beforehand that it would be easyto deliver this little speech, but when the time came, shefound it rather difficult to utter it naturally, with Amy’sunsuspicious eyes looking straight at her full of surpriseand trouble.‘Amy felt that there was something behind this, butwould not guess what, and said quietly, feeling hurt, andshowing that she did, ‘Perhaps you had rather I took notable at all?’‘Now, my dear, don’t have any ill feeling, I beg. It’smerely a matter of expediency, you see, my girls willnaturally take the lead, and this table is considered theirproper place. I think it very appropriate to you, and feelvery grateful for your efforts to make it so pretty, but wemust give up our private wishes, of course, and I will seethat you have a good place elsewhere. Wouldn’t you likethe flower table? The little girls undertook it, but they arediscouraged. You could make a charming thing of it, andthe flower table is always attractive you know.’‘Especially to gentlemen,’ added May, with a lookwhich enlightened Amy as to one cause of her sudden fallfrom favor. She colored angrily, but took no other noticeof that girlish sarcasm, and answered with unexpectedamiability...528 of 861