His mother and sisters were very kind to me when I came, but I was not so accustomed then as I am now to be treated familiarly and called 'Hessie,' which no one has ever called me before, and I am afraid I was not so responsive as I see now I ought to have been.

Down here it seems your friends are the people whom you live near, not the ones you like.

It seems a curious arrangement.

And as the Pratts are James's and Minna's greatest friends, I did not wish to offend them.

And then, of course, I did offend them mortally at last by losing my temper when they came up to my room to what they called 'rout me out,' though I had told them I was busy in the mornings.