"
She looked the picture of health.
Bernardine gasped; and Mrs. Reffold continued:
"His grumbling this afternoon has been incessant; so much so that he
himself was ashamed, and asked me to forgive him. You heard him, didn't
you?"
"Yes, I heard him," Bernardine said.
"And of course I forgave him at once," Mrs. Reffold said piously.
"Naturally one would do that, but the vexation remains all the same."
"Can these things be!" thought Bernardine to herself
"He spoke in a most ridiculous way," she went on: "it certainly is not
encouraging for me to spend another afternoon with him. I shall go
sledging to-morrow."
"You generally do go sledging, don't you?" Bernardine asked mildly.
Mrs. Reffold looked at her suspiciously. She was never quite sure that
Bernardine was not making fun of her.
"It is little enough pleasure I do have," she added, as though in self-
defence. "And he seems to grudge me that too."
"I don't think he would grudge you anything," Bernardine said, with
some warmth. "He loves you too much for that. You don't know how much
pleasure you give him when you spare him a little of your time. He told
me how happy you made him this afternoon.
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