Boarding schools -- England -- Juvenile fiction; Girls -- Social life and customs -- Juvenile fiction
"I hope whoever the man is who cares for you and who wants to see you
in your fine dress and your pretty hat and ruffles, that he will not
take the little affection you have for me away. But, even if that
happens, my love for you is so true, and so very, very deep, that I
think I would not change my purpose, even though I knew, by so doing,
I should lose the little love you give me. For, Brenda,--I must say
it now--I read you quite truly--you have got a lovely face and a
beautiful manner and all people are attracted to you. But it is I--
your sister--who have got the heart; and the one who has the heart
suffers. I accept the position. I know quite well that no one will
ever care for me in the way people will care for you; but so great is
my love for you, that I am satisfied even to do what is wrong for your
sake. It is all dreadful, but it can't be helped.
"Your affectionate sister,--
"Penelope Carlton."
Having finished her letter, Penelope addressed it to: Miss Brenda
Carlton, c/o Rev Josiah Amberley, The Rectory, Harroway; and, leaving
her room, she ran with it into the hall, where it was deposited in the
post box in sufficient time to go out with the evening letters.
The four girls who had promised to get the money for Penelope had been
equally busy with their pens, and each had written the sort of letter
which would assuredly bring back five pounds in its train. Cara Burt
wrote briefly and decidedly. She wanted plenty of pocket money just
now, and wouldn't darling great-grand-dad supply her? and would he
promise to keep it dark from grandfather and grandmother and father and
mother and from every one else at home, and just let it be a secret
between his own Cara and himself; and if he did this, would not she
reward him by a special walk, and a special button-hole, which she would
make for him on the day of the break-up?
Cara knew her man to a nicety, and was assured of the dear little crisp
five-pound note that arrived by return of post. Annie Leicester also
wrote with calm assurance to her parents. She wanted a little extra
money. She knew she had been a trifle extravagant with regard to
chocolates and suchlike things. If she could have a five-pound note to
see her safely to the end of term, it would put her into such excellent
spirits that she could act Fair Rosamond to perfection. She wanted the
money, and by return of post, and of course it would be forthcoming.
Mary L'Estrange found more difficulty with her letter; for, although her
people were rich, they were careful; but she managed to write such a
letter as would make her mother deny herself a summer ruffle or some
such luxury for the sake of supplying her little daughter with what that
daughter considered necessary. Susanna was the only one who had any
real difficulty in penning her letter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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