Don't let her dress herself. She doesn't
understand it. And will you get me a gun--"
The remainder of the letter was taken up with instructions concerning
the gun. It seemed a complicated sort of gun. I wished I hadn't
read about the gun to Ethelbertha. It made her nervous for the rest
of the day.
Veronica's letter followed on Thursday morning. I read it going down
in the train. In transcribing I have thought it better, as regards
the spelling, to adopt the more conventional forms.
"You will be pleased to hear," Veronica wrote, "that we are all quite
well. Robin works very hard. But I think it does her good. And of
course I help her. All I can. I am glad she has got a boy. To do
the washing-up. I think that was too much for her. It used to make
her cross. One cannot blame her. It is trying work. And it makes
you mucky. He is a good boy. But has been neglected. So doesn't
know much. I am teaching him grammar. He says 'you was' and 'her
be.' But is getting better. He says he went to school. But they
couldn't have taken any trouble with him. Could they? The system, I
suppose, was rotten. Robina says I mustn't overdo it. Because you
want him to talk Berkshire. So I propose confining our attention to
the elementary rules. He had never heard of Robinson Crusoe. What a
life! We went to church on Sunday. I could not find my gloves. And
Robina was waxy. But Mr.
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