Then I shook down her hair, spread it out, lifted it, parted it, and held up strands to let the air on her scalp.

She shivered and said: "Mercy child, how good that does feel! My head has ached lately until it's a wonder there's a hair left on it." So I was pleasing her.

I never did handle hair so carefully.

I tried every single thing it feels good to you to have done with your hair, rubbed her head gently, and to cheer her up I told her about May and the snake, and what fool Mehitabel had said, and she couldn't help laughing; so I had her feeling about as good as she could, for the way she actually felt, but still I didn't really get ahead.

Come right to the place to do it, that was no very easy question to ask a person, when you wouldn't hurt their feelings for anything; I was beginning to wonder if I would lose my chance, when all at once a way I could manage popped into my mind.
"Shelley," I said, "they told you about Laddie and the Princess, didn't they ?" I knew they had, but I had to make a beginning some way.
"Yes," she said.