human
Now, my dears, you must make yourselves quite at home. You must not be shy, or lonely, or unhappy. You must enter--which I hope you will do very quick--into the life of this most delightful house. We are all willing and anxious to make you happy. As to your trunks, they will be unpacked and put away in one of the attics.
gpt
I wish we could sleep in an attic, said Betty then in a fierce voice.
human
I hate company-rooms.
gpt
There is no attic available, my dear; and this, you must admit, is a nice room.
human
I admit nothing,
gpt
I think it's a nice room, said Hester;
human
Certainly, dears, provided you don't catch cold.
gpt
Catch cold! said Sylvia in a voice of scorn.
human
If you had ever lived on a Scotch moor you wouldn't talk of catching cold in a stuffy little hole of a place like this.
gpt
I must ask you for the keys of your trunks, she said;
human
Thanks, said Betty,
gpt
In this house, dear, it is not the custom,
human
And we can, of course, keep our own keys, continued Betty, speaking rapidly, her very pale face glowing with a faint tinge of color;
gpt
Mrs. Haddo,
human
Well, whatever her name is, she said we were to be restricted by no rules to-day. She said so, didn't she, Sylvia? Didn't she, Hetty?
gpt
She certainly did,
human
Then, if it's a rule for the trunks to be unpacked by some one else, it doesn't apply to us to-day, said Betty.
gpt
If you will be so very kind, Miss----
human
Symes is my name.
gpt
So very kind, Miss Symes, as to go away and leave us, we'll begin to unpack our own trunks and put everything away by dinner-time.
human
Very well, said Miss Symes quite meekly.
gpt
Is there anything else I can do for your comfort?
human
Yes, remarked Sylvia in a pert tone;