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heasked.
“Yes,I’vecometofetchyou.”
“You’vegotanewdresson.”
Itwasineighteen-eighty-five,andsheworeabustle.Hergownwasofblackvelvet,withtightsleevesandslopingshoulders,andtheskirthadthreelargeflounces.Sheworeablackbonnetwithvelvetstrings.Shehesitated.Thequestionshehadexpecteddidnotcome,andsoshecouldnotgivetheanswershehadprepared.
“Aren’tyougoingtoaskhowyourmammais?”shesaidatlength.
“Oh,Iforgot.Howismamma?”
Nowshewasready.
“Yourmammaisquitewellandhappy.”
“Oh,Iamglad.”
“Yourmamma’sgoneaway.Youwon’teverseeheranymore.”Philipdidnotknowwhatshemeant.
“Whynot?”
“Yourmamma’sinheaven.”
Shebegantocry,andPhilip,thoughhedidnotquiteunderstand,criedtoo.Emmawasatall,big-bonedwoman,withfairhairandlargefeatures.ShecamefromDevonshireand,notwithstandinghermanyyearsofserviceinLondo
