When her feelings were touched she had a way of growing curt and terse, sometimes even snappish.
"That hot place--without trees, and all so dusty and dirty--Kadi--Kadi--I forget." "Oh! you stupid girl Kadikoi was only one little wee village.

You mean the Crimea--the Crimea is the name of all the country about there--where the war was." "Yes, of course.

I _am_ stupid," said Molly, but not at all as if she had any reason to be ashamed of the fact.

"Did he never come home from the Crimea ?" "No," said Sylvia, curtly again, "he never came home." For an instant Molly was silent.

Then she began again.
"Well, I wonder how the old lady, that poor nice man's mother, I mean--I wonder how she got the money and all that, that Uncle Jack was to settle for her.