Маленька принцеса
Lottie
"Dearme,"saidLavinia,"howwecancalculate!"Infact,itwasnottobedeniedthatsixteenandfourmadetwenty—andtwentywasanagethemostdaringwerescarcelyboldenoughtodreamof.
SotheyoungerchildrenadoredSara.Morethanonceshehadbeenknowntohaveateaparty,madeupofthesedespisedones,inherownroom.AndEmilyhadbeenplayedwith,andEmily’sownteaserviceused—theonewithcupswhichheldquitealotofmuch-sweetenedweakteaandhadblueflowersonthem.Noonehadseensuchaveryrealdoll’steasetbefore.FromthatafternoonSarawasregardedasagoddessandaqueenbytheentirealphabetclass.
LottieLeghworshippedhertosuchanextentthatifSarahadnotbeenamotherlyperson,shewouldhavefoundhertiresome.Lottiehadbeensenttoschoolbyaratherflightyyoungpapawhocouldnotimaginewhatelsetodowithher.Heryoungmotherhaddied,andasthechildhadbeentreatedlikeafavoritedolloraveryspoiledpetmonkeyorlapdogeversincethefirsthourofherlife,shewasaveryappallinglittlecreature.Whenshewantedanythingordidnotwantanythingsheweptandhowled;and,asshealwayswantedthethingsshecouldnothave,anddidnotwantthethingsthatwerebestforher,hershrilllittlevoicewasusuallytobeheardupliftedinwailsinonepartofthehouseoranother.
Herstrongestweaponwasthatinsomemysteriouswayshehadfoundoutthataverysmallgirlwhohadlosthermotherwasapersonwhooughttobepitiedandmademuchof.Shehadprobablyheardsomegrown-uppeopletalkingheroverintheearlydays,afterhermother’sdeath.Soitbecameherhabittomakegreatuseofthisknowledge.
