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〃I am quite a stranger to you； Mr。 Carraway；〃 she said； with a laugh； 〃but if you had only known it； I had a doll named after you when I was very small。 Guy Carraway！it seemed to me all that was needed to make a fairy tale。〃
The lawyer joined in her laugh； which never rose above a carefully modulated minor。 〃I confess that I once took the same view of it； my dear young lady；〃 he returned； 〃so I ended by dropping the name and keeping only the initial。 Your grandfather will tell you that I am now G。 Carraway and nothing more。 I couldn't afford； as things were； to make a fairy tale of my life； you see。〃
〃Oh； if one only could！〃 said the girl； lowering her full dark eyes； which gave a piteous lie to her sullen mouth。
She was artificial； Carraway told himself with emphasis； and yet the distinction of mannerthe elegancewas certainly the point at which her training had not failed。 He felt it in her tall； straight figure； absurdly overdressed for a granddaughter of Fletcher's； in her smooth white hands； with their finely polished nails； in her pale； repressed face； which he called plain while admitting that it might become interesting； in her shapely head even with its heavy cable of coal…black hair。
What she was her education had made of herthe look of serene distinction； the repose of her thin…featured； colourless face； refined beyond the point of prettinessthese things her training had given her； and these were the things which Carraway； with his old…fashioned loyalty to a strong class prejudice； found himself almost resenting。 Bill Fletcher's granddaughter had； he felt； no right to this rare security of breeding which revealed itself in every graceful fold of the dress she wore； for with Fletcher an honest man she would have been； perhaps； but one of the sallow； over…driven drudges who stare like helpless effigies from the little tumbledown cabins along country roadsides。
Fletcher； meanwhile； had filled in the pause with one of his sudden burly dashes into speech。
〃Maria has been so long at her high…and…mighty boarding…school；〃 he said； 〃that I reckon her head's as full of fancies as a cheese is of maggots。 She's even got a notion that she wants to turn out all this new stuffto haul the old rubbish back again but I say wait till the boy comes onthen we'll see； we'll see。〃
〃And in the meantime we'll go in to supper；〃 put in the girl with a kind of hopeless patience； though Carraway could see that she smarted as from a blow。 〃This is Will； Mr。 Carraway；〃 she added almost gaily； skillfully sweeping her train from about the feet of a pretty； undersized boy of fourteen years； who had burst into the room with his mouth full of bread and jam。 〃He's quite the pride of the family； you know； because he's just taken all the honours of his school。〃
〃History； 'rithmatic； Latinall the languages；〃 rolled out Fletcher in a voice that sounded like a tattoo。 〃I can't keep up with 'em； but they're all thar； ain't they； sonny？〃
〃Oh； you could never say 'em off straight； grandpa；〃 retorted the boy； with the pertness of a spoiled girl； at which； to Carraway's surprise； Fletcher fairly chuckled with delight。
〃That's so； I'm a plain man； the Lord knows；〃 he admitted； his coarse face crinkling like a sundried leaf of tobacco。
〃We've got chickens for supperbroiled；〃 the boy chattered on； putting out his tongue at his sister； 〃that's why Lindy's havin' it an hour late she's been picking 'em； with Aunt Mehitable helping her for the feathers。 Now don't shake your head at me； Maria； because it's no use pretending we have 'em every night； like old Mrs。 Blake。〃
〃Bless my soul！〃 gasped Fletcher； nettled by the last remark。 〃Do you mean to tell me those Blakes are fools enough to eat spring chicken when they could get forty cents apiece for 'em in the open market？〃
〃The old lady does；〃 corrected the boy glibly。 〃The one who wears the queer lace cap and sits in the big chair by the hearth all dayand all night； too； Tommy Spade says； 'cause he peeped through once at midnight and she was still there； sitting so stiff that it scared him and he ran away。 Well； Aunt Mehitable sold her a dozen； and she got a side of bacon and a bag of meal。〃
〃Grandfather； you've forgotten Aunt Saidie；〃 broke in Maria； as Fletcher was about to begin his grace without waiting for a dumpy little woman； in purple calico； who waddled with an embarrassed air from her hasty preparations in the pantry。 At first Carraway had mistaken her for an upper servant； but as she came forward Maria laid her hand playfully upon her arm and introduced her with a sad little gaiety of manner。 〃I believe she has met one of your sisters in Fredericksburg；〃 she added； after a moment。 Clearly she had determined to accept the family in the lump； with a resolution thathad it borne less resemblance to a passive rage could not have failed to glorify a nobler martyrdom。 It was not affection that fortified herbeyond her first gently tolerant glance at the boy there had been only indifference in her pale； composed faceand the lawyer was at last brought to the surprising conclusion that Fletcher's granddaughter was seeking to build herself a fetish of the mere idle bond of blood。 The hopeless gallantry of the girl moved him to a vague feeling of pity； and he spoke presently with a chivalrous desire of making her failure easy。
〃It was Susan； I think；〃 he said pleasantly； shaking hands with the squat little figure in front of him； 〃I remember her speaking of it afterward。〃
〃I met her at a church festival one Christmas Eve；〃 responded Aunt Saidie； in a high…pitched； rasping voice。 〃The same evening that I got this pink crocheted nuby。〃 She touched a small pointed shawl about her shoulders。 〃Miss Belinda Beale worked it and it was raffled off for ten cents a chance。〃
Her large； plump face； overflushed about the nose； had a natural kindliness of expression which Carraway found almost appealing； and he concluded that as a girl she might have possessed a common prettiness of feature。 Above her clear blue eyes a widening parting divided her tightly crimped bands of hair； which still showed a bright chestnut tint in the gray ripples。
〃Thar； thar； Saidie；〃 Fletcher interrupted with a frank brutality； which the lawyer found more repelling than the memory of his stolen fortune。 〃Mr。 Carraway doesn't want to hear about your fascinator。 He'd a long ways rather have you make his coffee。〃
The little woman flushed purple and drew back her chair with an ugly noise from the head of the lavishly spread table。
〃Set down right thar； suh；〃 she stammered； her poor little pretense of ease gone from her； 〃right thar between Brother Bill and me。〃
〃You did say it； Aunt Saidie； I told you you would；〃 screamed the pert boy； beginning an assault upon an enormous dish of batterbread。
Maria flinched visibly。 〃Be silent； Will；〃 she ordered。 〃Grandfather； you must really make Will learn to be polite。〃
〃Now； now； Maria； you're too hard on us；〃 protested Fletcher； flinging himself bodily into the breach； 〃boys will be boys； you knowthey warn't born gals。〃
〃But she did say it； Maria；〃 insisted the boy； 〃and she bet me a whole dish of doughnuts she wouldn't。 She did say 'set'； I heard her。〃