"Oh.my dear child--" he said in a kind of dismay.
She looked up at him with complete confidence.So gentle a kiss had it been that it had been no more than a pressure of the hand.
A few days later Katherine spoke to her.She came up to her bedroom just as Maggie was beginning to undress.Maggie stood in front of the glass, her evening frock off, brushing her short thick hair before the glass.
"Have you made any plans yet, dear?" asked Katherine.
Maggie shook her head.
"No." she said."Not yet."
Katherine hesitated.
"I've got a confession to make," she said at last.
Maggie turned to look at her with her large childish eyes.
"Oh, I do hope you've done something wrong," she said, laughing,"something really bad that I should have to 'overlook.'""What do you mean?" asked Katherine.
Maggie only said: "We'd be more on a level then.""I don't think it's anything very bad.But the truth is, Maggie, that I didn't ask you here only for my own pleasure and to make you well.There was a third reason.""I know," said Maggie; "Paul."
"My dear!" said Katherine, amazed."How did you guess? I never should have done.""Paul's asked you to find out whether I like him," said Maggie.
"Yes," said Katherine.
"Well, I do like him." said Maggie.
"Don't think that I've been unfair," said Katherine.They were sitting now side by side on Maggie's bed and Katherine's hand was on Maggie's knee."I'll tell you exactly how it happened.Paul was interested in you from the moment that he saw you at my house ever so long ago.He asked ever so many questions about you, and the next time he stayed he wanted me to write and ask you to come and stay.
Well, I didn't.I knew from what you told me that you cared for somebody else, and I didn't want to get Paul really fond of you if it was going to be no good.You see, I've known Paul for ages.He's nearly ten years older than I, but he used to come and stay with us at Garth, when he was at Cambridge and before he was a clergyman.""I'm very fond of him.I know the others think he's stupid simply because he doesn't know the things that they do, but he's good and kind and honest, and just exactly what he seems to be.""I like him," repeated Maggie, nodding her head.