Todd, who was with me all the time, and--"
"But that showed he loved you, don't you think so?"
"Well, perhaps he did a little: he told me if I Would trust him he
would not let mamma or auntie scold; but you know that was nonsense. I
would like to see any one prevent them if they want to do it. And he
hadn't any money, and we should have starved: I told him so. Then he
said there was no danger of that: he could manage to keep the wolf
from the door. I knew of course that be could easily keep wolves away,
for there are none here, and I would not live in that horrid West; but
that would not prevent us starving: auntie said we would starve."
"Poor Ned!" I murmured.
"You pity poor Ned," said she, now sobbing, "but you don't pity poor
me at all, and I am the most wretched."
"Come, don't cry, Eva," I said, putting my arm around her: it was very
dark in that corner, and I knew Eva would not fuss about it, as a
certain other person did not long ago. "What shall I do for you, my
dear? Do you want Ned back? I'll tell him and make it up between you:
shall I?"
"No, no! He is so cross and fierce that I should be afraid of him: he
was dreadfully ill-tempered when he left me that night."
"But that was because he loved you, Eva."
"When people love me I don't want them to be disagreeable: I should
not want to vex any one if I loved him.
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