have given her some hold on him. She leaned
her head on her hands, poor child, and said,
'I just don't know, Mrs. Steavens. I guess
my patience was wore out, waiting so long.
I thought if he saw how well I could do for
him, he'd want to stay with me.'

"Jimmy, I sat right down on that bank
beside her and made lament. I cried like a
young thing. I couldn't help it. I was just
about heart-broke. It was one of them lovely
warm May days, and the wind was blowing
and the colts jumping around in the pas-
tures; but I felt bowed with despair. My
Antonia, that had so much good in her, had
come home disgraced. And that Lena Lin-
gard, that was always a bad one, say what
you will, had turned out so well, and was
coming home here every summer in her silks
and her satins, and doing so much for her
mother. I give credit where credit is due,
but you know well enough, Jim Burden, there
is a great difference in the principles of those
two girls. And here it was the good one that
had come to grief! I was poor comfort to her.
I marveled at her calm. As we went back
to the house, she stopped to feel of her clothes
to see if they was drying well, and seemed

[[354]]

p353 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p354w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p355

v?