'She just talked as if I were dirt, and that you were only marrying me for money.

She don't like me and I don't like her, there!' and the indignant little girl began to cry.
Tom laughed immoderately, and, passing his arm around her as they went down the stairs, he said: 'Of course you don't like her.

Who ever did like her mother-in-law?
But you are marrying me, not my mother, so don't cry, _petite_.' Tom was making an effort to be very kind, and even lover-like to his _fiancee_, who was easily comforted, and who, on her return to Le Bateau told her father plainly that the party must be given up, as it would be sadly out of place and deeply offend the Tracys.

Very unwillingly Peterkin gave it up, and sent word to that effect to Mrs.
Rossiter-Browne, who had already been apprised of the coming event and was having a wonderful gown made for the occasion.
'I find,' he wrote, 'that it wouldn't be at all _rachelshay_ to have a blow out whilst the family is in deep black; but when they git into lavender, and the young folks is home from their tower, I'll have a tearer.' Peterkin tried two or three times to see Mrs.Tracy, but she put him off with one excuse after another, until Tom took the matter in hand and told her she was acting like a fool and putting on quite too many airs.
Then she appointed an interview, and, bracing herself with a tonic, went down to the darkened, cheerless room, and by her manner so managed to impress him with her superiority over him and his that he forgot entirely the speech he had prepared with infinite pains, and which had in it a good deal about family _bonds_, and family _units_, and _Aaron's beard_, and brotherly love.

This he had rehearsed many times to May Jane, with wonderful gestures and flourishes; 'but, I'll be bumped' he said to her on his return from the Park House, 'if I didn't forget every blessed word, she was so high and mighty.