* * * * * When the Girl went down to meet the Creature she found herself confronted by the Young Man . For the first , last , and only time in her life , the Girl had not a word to say . But her family thought her confusion very natural and pretty . They really had not expected her to behave so well . As for the Young Man , his manner was flawless . Toward the end of the dinner , when the Girl was beginning to recover herself , he turned to her . `` You know I promised never to tell , '' he said . `` Be sure you do n't , then , '' said the Girl meekly . `` But are n't you glad you left the loophole ? '' he persisted . The Girl smiled down into her lap . `` Perhaps , '' she said . Aunt Cyrilla 's Christmas Basket When Lucy Rose met Aunt Cyrilla coming downstairs , somewhat flushed and breathless from her ascent to the garret , with a big , flat-covered basket hanging over her plump arm , she gave a little sigh of despair . Lucy Rose had done her brave best for some years -- in fact , ever since she had put up her hair and lengthened her skirts -- to break Aunt Cyrilla of the habit of carrying that basket with her every time she went to Pembroke ; but Aunt Cyrilla still insisted on taking it , and only laughed at what she called Lucy Rose 's `` finicky notions . '' Lucy Rose had a horrible , haunting idea that it was extremely provincial for her aunt always to take the big basket , packed full of country good things , whenever she went to visit Edward and Geraldine . Geraldine was so stylish , and might think it queer ; and then Aunt Cyrilla always would carry it on her arm and give cookies and apples and molasses taffy out of it to every child she encountered and , just as often as not , to older folks too . Lucy Rose , when she went to town with Aunt Cyrilla , felt chagrined over this -- all of which goes to prove that Lucy was as yet very young and had a great deal to learn in this world . That troublesome worry over what Geraldine would think nerved her to make a protest in this instance . `` Now , Aunt C'rilla , '' she pleaded , `` you 're surely not going to take that funny old basket to Pembroke this time -- Christmas Day and all . '' '' ` Deed and ` deed I am , '' returned Aunt Cyrilla briskly , as she put it on the table and proceeded to dust it out .
`` I never went to see Edward and Geraldine XXXXX they were married that I did n't take a basket of good things along with me for them , and I 'm not going to stop now .
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