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Rh o' your aunt Mirandy? Well, I can't hardly blame ye. She 's cranky an' she 's sour; I should think she 'd ben nussed on bonny-clabber an' green apples. She needs bearin' with; an' I guess you ain't much on patience, be ye?"

"Not very much," replied Rebecca dolefully.

"If I 'd had this talk with ye yesterday," pursued Mr. Cobb, "I believe I 'd have advised ye different. It 's too late now, an' I don't feel to say you 've ben all in the wrong; but if 't was to do over again, I 'd say, well, your aunt Mirandy gives you clothes and board and schoolin' and is goin' to send you to Wareham at a big expense. She's turrible hard to get along with, an' kind o' heaves benefits at your head, same 's she would bricks; but they 're benefits jest the same, an' mebbe it 's your job to kind o' pay for 'em in good behavior. Jane's a leetle bit more easy goin' than Mirandy, ain't she, or is she jest as hard to please?"

"Oh, aunt Jane and I get along splendidly," exclaimed Rebecca; "she's just as good and kind as she can be, and I like her better all the time. I think she kind of likes me, too; she smoothed my hair once. I 'd let her scold me all day long, for she understands; but she can't stand up for me against aunt Mirandy; she's about as afraid of her as I am."

"Jane 'll be real sorry to-morrow to find you've gone away, I guess; but never mind, it can't be