Fisher from her shell; and here
she was at last, as Lotty had predicted, pleased, good-humoured and
benevolent.
Lotty, coming back half an hour later from her picnic, and
following the sound of voices into the top garden in the hope of still
finding tea, saw at once what had happened, for Mrs. Fisher at that
very moment was laughing.
"She's burst her cocoon," thought Lotty; and swift as she was in
all her movements, and impulsive, and also without any sense of
propriety to worry and delay her, she bent over the back of Mrs.
Fisher's chair and kissed her.
"Good gracious!" cried Mrs. Fisher, starting violently, for such
a thing had not happened to her since Mr. Fisher's earlier days, and
then only gingerly. This kiss was a real kiss, and rested on Mrs.
Fisher's cheek a moment with a strange, soft sweetness.
When she saw whose it was, a deep flush spread over her face.
Mrs. Wilkins kissing her and the kiss feeling so affectionate. . .
Even if she had wanted to she could not in the presence of the
appreciative Mr. Briggs resume her cast-off severity and begin rebuking
again; but she did not want to. Was it possible Mrs. Wilkins like her--
had liked her all this time, while she had been so much disliking her
herself? A queer little trickle of warmth filtered through the frozen
defences of Mrs.
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