On Christmas morning, Harkness dragged to Robin's door a box of gifts
from her guardian. Most of them Miss Effie had selected, as poor
Cornelius Allendyce was still confined to his room, and that
good-hearted woman had, with a burst of real Christmas spirit, simply
duplicated each gift, for, though she wasn't at all sure, yet, that this
"companion" of Robin's choosing was the refined sort Robin ought to
have, nevertheless she was a girl like Robin and Christmas was
Christmas. Beryl appreciated the thoughtfulness more than she could
express and when she found a little book entitled "Old Violins" and
_only one_, she hugged it to her with a rush of happy feeling.
Later in the morning Mrs. Granger's chauffeur arrived with a great box
of bon-bons in queer shapes and colors. Neither Robin nor Beryl had ever
seen anything quite so extravagantly contrived.
"She paid a fortune for _that_," declared Beryl, appraisingly. "She must
have forgiven Susy for spoiling her dress. Or maybe she's thinking of
her son again. Let me read the card. 'Hoping you will coax that nice Mr.
Tubbs to bring you to us before my youngsters go back to school--'
Didn't I tell you, Robin?"
"I won't go," Robin answered briefly, pushing box and card away with a
gesture that disposed of Mrs.
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