human
Now, my dear, she said,
gpt
I have a piece of news for you which will, I think, please you very much.
human
Oh, what can please me when father is going?
gpt
Nevertheless, this may. You have, of course, heard of--indeed, I have been given to understand that you know--your cousins, the Vivians?
human
My cousins--the Vivians! she exclaimed.
gpt
Do you mean Betty--Betty and her sisters?
human
Yes, I think Betty is the name of one of the girls.
gpt
There are three, said Fanny.
human
There's Betty, who is about my age; and then there are the twins, Sylvia and Hetty.
gpt
Then, of course, you _do_ know them, dear?
human
Yes, I know them. I went to stay with them in Scotland for a week during last holidays. My cousin--their aunt, Miss Vivian--was very ill, however, and we had to keep things rather quiet. They lived at a place called Craigie Muir--quite beautiful, you know, but very, very wild.
gpt
That doesn't matter, dear.
human
Well, why are you speaking to me about them? They are my cousins, and I spent a week with them not very long ago.
gpt
You observed how ill Miss Vivian was?
human
I used to hear that she was ill; Sylvia used to tell me. Betty couldn't stand anything sad or depressing, so I never spoke to her on the subject.
gpt
And you--you liked your cousins? You appreciated them, did you not, Fanny?
human
I didn't know them very well,