His eyes were soft with indescribable tenderness as he
took the sweetmeats she gave him. Margaret smiled with happy pride. For
all her good-nature, Susie could not prevent the pang that wrung her
heart; for she too was capable of love. There was in her a wealth of
passionate affection that none had sought to find. None had ever
whispered in her ears the charming nonsense that she read in books. She
recognised that she had no beauty to help her, but once she had at least
the charm of vivacious youth. That was gone now, and the freedom to go
into the world had come too late; yet her instinct told her that she was
made to be a decent man's wife and the mother of children. She stopped
in the middle of her bright chatter, fearing to trust her voice, but
Margaret and Arthur were too much occupied to notice that she had ceased
to speak. They sat side by side and enjoyed the happiness of one
another's company.
'What a fool I am!' thought Susie.
She had learnt long ago that common sense, intelligence, good-nature, and
strength of character were unimportant in comparison with a pretty face.
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