Have a piece of cake before you go! I'm so sorry I stepped on your hand, my boy.

Is it all right now ?' 'Yes, thank you,' said Robert.

'I say, you ARE good.' 'Not at all,' said Mrs Biddle, heartily.

'I'm delighted to be able to give any little pleasure to you dear children.' And she helped them to roll up the carpet, and the boys carried it away between them.
'You ARE a dear,' said Anthea, and she and Mrs Biddle kissed each other heartily.
'WELL!' said Cyril as they went along the street.
'Yes,' said Robert, 'and the odd part is that you feel just as if it was REAL--her being so jolly, I mean--and not only the carpet making her nice.' 'Perhaps it IS real,' said Anthea, 'only it was covered up with crossness and tiredness and things, and the carpet took them away.' 'I hope it'll keep them away,' said Jane; 'she isn't ugly at all when she laughs.' The carpet has done many wonders in its day; but the case of Mrs Biddle is, I think, the most wonderful.

For from that day she was never anything like so disagreeable as she was before, and she sent a lovely silver tea-pot and a kind letter to Miss Peasmarsh when the pretty lady married the nice curate; just after Easter it was, and they went to Italy for their honeymoon..