Page:Anne's house of dreams (1920 Canada).djvu/201

 It’s all going to be different. We’re both of the race of Joseph now. I think you’ve been wonderful—wonderful. And, Leslie, I can’t help believing that life has something good and beautiful for you yet.”

Leslie shook her head.

“No,” she said dully. “There isn’t any hope. Dick will never be better—and even if his memory were to come back—oh, Anne, it would be worse, even worse, than it is now. This is something you can’t understand, you happy bride. Anne, did Miss Cornelia ever tell you how I came to marry Dick?”

“Yes.”

“I’m glad—I wanted you to know—but I couldn’t bring myself to talk of it if you hadn’t known. Anne, it seems to me that ever since I was twelve years old life has been bitter. Before that I had a happy childhood. We were very poor—but we didn’t mind. Father was so splendid—so clever and loving and sympathetic. We were chums as far back as I can remember. And mother was so sweet. She was very, very beautiful. I look like her, but I am not so beautiful as she was.”

“Miss Cornelia says you are far more beautiful.”

“She is mistaken—or prejudiced. I think my figure is better—mother was slight and bent by hard work—but she had the face of an angel. I used just to look up at her in worship. We all worshipped her,—father and Kenneth and I.”

Anne remembered that Miss Cornelia had given