Her appetite was little more than a mockery.
"It was very thoughtful of Loftus not to waken any one up to give him
breakfast," said Catherine.
Her mother again glanced at her with a shadow of approval on her worn
face. Artful Kitty had made this speech on purpose; she knew that any
praise of Loftus was balm to her mother.
After breakfast Mrs. Bertram showed rather unwonted interest in her
daughters' plans.
"It is such a lovely day I should like you to go on the water," she
said. "At the same time, I must not think of hiring a boat this summer."
"Are we so frightfully poor, mother?" asked Mab.
Mrs. Bertram's brow contracted as if in pain, but she answered with
unwonted calm and gentleness:
"I have a fixed income, my dear Mabel, but, as you know, we have come to
Northbury to retrench."
She was silent again for a minute. Then she said:
"I see nothing for it but to cultivate the Meadowsweets."
"Mother!" said Catherine. The old fire and anger had come into her
voice. Unusual as it may be with any girl brought up in such a worldly
manner, Catherine hated to take advantage of people.
"You mistake me, Kate," said her mother, shrinking back from her
daughter's eyes, as if she had received a blow. "I want you to have the
pleasure of Beatrice Meadowsweet's friendship.
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