"Please do not judge my wife too harshly," said Mr. Fayre as he
accompanied Mr. Forbes and Bernice to the door. "She still looks upon
Dolly as her baby, and scarcely lets her out of her sight."

"That's all right," returned Mr. Forbes. "She's the right sort of a
mother for the girl. I hope she will decide to let Dolly go, but if
not, I quite understand her hesitancy, and I respect and admire her
for it. Bernice can take somebody else, and I trust you will not try
over hard to influence Mrs. Fayre in Dolly's favour. If anything
untoward should happen, I should never forgive myself. I would far
rather the children were disappointed than to have Mrs. Fayre
persuaded against her better judgment."

The Forbeses departed, and then Dotty Rose went home, too.

"Oh, Dollyrinda," she whispered as they stood in the hall, "do you
s'pose your mother'll EVER say yes?"

"I don't believe so," replied Dolly mournfully. "But, oh, Dot, how I
do want to go! Seems 'sif I never wanted anything so much in all my
life!"

"You don't want to go a bit more than I want to have you. Why,
Dollops, I shan't go, if you don't."

"Oh, yes, you will, Dotty. You must. It would be silly not to."

"But I couldn't! I just COULDN'T. Do you s'pose I could have one
single bit of fun going to places without you? And knowing you were