keep it for himself.

At first, Mary Alice found it hard to remember the Secret "with so many
footmen around." But by and by she got used to them and, other things
being equal, could have nearly as good a time in a palace as in a flat.
For this, she had a wonderful example in Godmother of whom some one had
once said, admiringly, that she was "never mean to anybody just because
he's rich." It was true. Godmother was just as "nice" to the rich as
to the poor, to the "cowering celebrity" (as she was wont to say) as to
the most important nobody. It was the Secret that helped her to do it.
It was the Secret that helped Mary Alice.

And so the winter went flying by. Twice, letters came--from him; and
Mary Alice answered them, giving the answers to Godmother to send.
Once he wrote from London, and once from somewhere on the Bosphorus.
They were lonesome letters, both; but he didn't ask for the Secret,
though he mentioned it each time.




IX

TELLING THE SECRET TO MOTHER

In March, Godmother said: "I am going abroad for the summer, dear, and
I've just had a conference with my man of affairs. He reports some
unexpectedly good dividends from my small handful of stock in a company
that is enjoying a boom, and so if we're careful--you and I--there will
be enough so I can take you with me." Mary Alice was too surprised,