Page:The Confessions of a Well-Meaning Woman.djvu/192

 not come my way. Whether she will be able to hold him. . . Perhaps if she presents him with an heir. . . though I have had to change my views on that subject, as you know. Oh, I can speak about it now; and I shall never forget, when things were at their blackest, it was you who came to me with your divine sympathy. I could tell you the whole story if you truly honestly would not be bored; your discretion has been proved. . . I have lost the thread. . . Ah, yes!—the family. . . My nephew Culroyd—and Hilda? I am humbly thankful to say that there has been no catastrophe so far, though when the first, honeymoon intoxication wears off. . . Long may it be delayed, for they are the one bright spot in my poor brother Brackenbury’s life. That pathetic child Phyllida is still breaking her heart over the cabman-colonel whom I, if you please, am supposed to have set against her in order to keep her for my boy. Thank goodness, she does not know he is driving a cab! Breaking her heart or pretending to. And I really think my brother encourages her. He wouldn’t send her right away as I advised; and now he pats her hand and looks worried when she comes down boasting that she hasn’t slept. And Ruth does the same. . . I don’t want to bring bad luck by