The Winnifred Eaton Digital Archive Edited & Compiled by Jean Lee Cole Assistant Professor, Department of English Loyola College in Maryland Hosted & Maintained by the Electronic Text Center University of Virginia Library

To-day, he placed a scroll where the flowers were. How could I resist taking it in? I did so, laying it flat on the floor, as my shaking hands would have made it impossible to read it otherwise.

It was a poem. My beauty, grace, goodness, virtue, was its theme.

I piteously besought Madame Summer tolet me keep it. But, on the threat that she would tell everything to mystepfather otherwise, I was forced to relinquish this treasure also to her. Sherelentlessly replaced it. She says he will understand now, as he has beenrefused twice.

"But once more," I encourage myself, "yes, three times, of course, he must ask me."