"No--no--" she explained. "Your Maman found this book over there in
the cupboard--it's a very old book, Cherie. It is a book that a man
gave to--" her fat fingers checked off the generations lightly, "a
lady named Prudence--she was the mother of Josepha--and Josepha was
the mother of a Louisa. It was this Louisa who was your mother's
mother--now do you see? And think, Miss Felicia--" she waved her hand
toward the opened door of the wardrobe, "what many, many things
they've left here for you! When Octavia was just as old as you she
rummaged and rummaged every day--" Margot wiped her eyes with the back
of her hand--the Major moved toward the window and looked down upon
the garden. "She put them all in order, each one's clothes in a
different place, I was the one who helped her. And she used to laugh
while we sorted the things and say what fun it would be for the next
one who came to see them--that's you, Miss Felicia--"

"Oh! Oh!" breathed Felicia, her eyes shining like stars. "How sweet of
her! How sweet of you, Margot, to keep them all for me! You are sweet,
sweet, sweet to bring me her gloves! Once she told me about this hat,
I knew its ribbons would be blue! I know how they tie in back so's it
won't make me warm under my chin--she told me--look, isn't this the
way?" Her slender hands lifted the hat to her hair, so sweetly rumpled
from her pillows, "Look, Grandy, look at me! I am wearing Maman's hat
--she told me I could wear it when I came to the House in the Woods! Do
you think it looks well on me?" Her naive vanity almost broke their
hearts. "Do you, Grandy? Look at me!"

He turned slowly. He stepped bravely toward her and lifted her hand
and kissed it.

"You look very charming, my dear," he murmured, he was breathing hard,