"Knew she wouldn't do anything else? I'd like to know what you're
talkin' about, Francis Arms."

"I knew as long as she was Flora Maxwell, and her wedding was set for
to-day three months ago, it wasn't very likely that old Mr. Maxwell's
dying and not leaving her his money, and your not liking it, was
going to stop her."

"Hadn't it ought to have stopped her? Hadn't the wishes of a mother
that's slaved for her all her life, and didn't want her to get
married without a silk gown to her back to a man that ain't any
prospects of being able to buy her any, ought to have stopped her,
I'd like to know?"

"I guess Flora didn't think much about silk gowns, Aunt Jane," said
Francis, and his face reddened a little. "I guess she didn't think
much about anything but George."

"George! What's George Freeman? What's all the Freemans? I ain't
never liked them. They wa'n't never up to our folks. His mother ain't
never had a black silk dress to her name--never had a thing better
than black cashmere, an' they ain't never had a thing but oil-cloth
in their front entry, an' the Perry's ain't never noticed them
either. I ain't never wanted Flora to go into that family. I never
felt as if she was lookin' high enough, an' I knew George couldn't
get no kind of a livin' jest being clerk in Mason's store. But I felt
different about it before Thomas died, for I thought she'd have money
enough of her own, an' she was gettin' a little on in years, and
George was good-lookin' enough. After Thomas died an' left all his
money to Edward's wife, I hadn't an idea Flora would be such a fool