"
Kate took her head up again at this, a little encouraged; and Lady
Jane kissed her forehead, and repeated, "Aunt Barbara was not angry
with you, my dear."
"No, for I think you have tried to conquer yourself," said Lady
Barbara. She did not think it wise to tell Kate that she thought she
could not help it, though oddly enough, the very thing had just been
said over the child's head, and Kate ventured on it to get up, and
say quietly, "Yes, it was not Aunt Barbara's speaking to me that made
me cry, but I am so unhappy about Alice and Sylvia Joanna;" and a
soft caress from Aunt Jane made her venture to go on. "It is not
only the playing with them, though I do wish for that very very much
indeed; but it would be so unkind, and so proud and ungrateful, to
despise my own cousin's cousins!"
This was more like the speeches Kate made in her own head than
anything she had ever said to her aunts; and it was quite just
besides, and not spoken in naughtiness, and Lady Barbara did not
think it wrong to show that she attended to it. "You are right,
Katharine," she said; "no one wishes you to be either proud or
ungrateful. I would not wish entirely to prevent you from seeing the
children of the family, but it must not be till there is some
acquaintance between myself and their mother, and I cannot tell
whether you can be intimate with them till I know what sort of
children they are. Much, too, must depend on yourself, and whether
you will behave well with them.
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