thatThere it was, my mother"s irony.
“I suppose it is not right to punish the daughter for the mother,” Mrs. Carey insisted. “And the father is such a dear man. He has suffered enough, I think. Seeing his daughter done well will surely comfort him. Relieve him of the pain his wife causes him.”
Of what pain did they speak? They could not know how my mother harangued my father, her coldness to him. Or was it that evident? Was it some other pain?
“Quite right,” Mrs. Astor agreed. “For the father"s sake, we will ignore the mother.”
“She may take it as a sign of her own acceptance.”
Mrs. Astor laughed outright. “I hardly think so, dear. Accepting the daughter will not find me anything but cordial to that awful woman.”
“Nor I,” Mrs. Carey concurred.
“It"s settled then. Be sure to include
