"I guess you'll be very sorry you went to Bosting," remarked Winnie, in an oracular manner, that night, when they were all together in their old places in the sitting-room. "The Meddlesome Quinine Club had a concert here last Wednesday, and we had preserved seats. What do you think of that?" This is a copy of the letter that found its way to Beacon Street a few days after:-- "My dear Uncle and Aunt Miranda: "I am so sorry I don't know what to do. I was so tired sitting still, and going to dinner-parties, and then auntie was displeased about the beggar-girl (I took her home, and her mother was just as glad as she could be, and so poor!) and so I felt angry and homesick, and I know I oughtn't to have gone to such a place without asking; but I didn't think; and then I came home in the afternoon train, but I didn't think when I did that either. Mother says that was no excuse, and I know it was very wicked in me to do such a thing. Mrs. Surly met me in the cars at Rutland, and took me to spend the night with her cousin, Mrs. Mary Ann Jacobs; so I got along safely, and nothing happened to me, but one drunken man that kept talking. "Mother says I have done a _very_ rude and unkind thing, to leave you all so, when you had invited me there, and been so good to me. I know it. I had a real nice time when I went to see Bunker Hill and the Museum with uncle; and, of course, it was my own fault that I didn't like to wear gloves, and choked so at dinner. "Mother says you will never want to see me there again; and I shouldn't think you would. Seems to me I never did such a thing in all my life, and you haven't any idea how badly I feel about it. But I know that doesn't help it any. "I've made up my mind never to do anything again till I've thought it all over as many as twelve times. Mother says two or three would do, but I think twelve would be safer. "I wish you'd let Joy come up here. I'd take her boating and riding, and up to Ripton, and down to the swamp, and everything, and try to make up. "I don't suppose you will ever care anything more about me; but I wish you'd please to excuse me and forgive me. "Your affectionate niece, "Gypsy. "P. S.--Winnie's cat has the _cun_ningest little set of kittens you ever saw. They're all blind, and they have such funny paws." -------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES 1. Punctuation has been normalized to contemporary standards. 2. Frontispiece relocated to after title page. 3. Typographic errors corrected in original: p. 48 an to on ("Winnie jumped on board") p. 58 mits to mitts ("pair of black mitts") p. 119 friend' to friend's ("in her friend's eyes") End of Project Gutenberg's Gypsy Breynton, by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps