Of course his father was behind it somewhere , but surely he could have got out of it if he had really tried . Well , if he went to South Africa he must go alone . But my heart would break . I cried the whole afternoon , cowering among my pillows . I never wanted to go out of that room again . I never wanted to see anybody again . I hated the thought of facing Aunt Philippa with her cold eyes and her miserable stories that seemed to strip life of all beauty and love of all reality . I could hear her scornful , `` That 's the men for you , '' if she heard what was in Mark 's letter . `` What is the matter , Ursula ? '' Aunt Philippa was standing by my bed . I was too abject to resent her coming in without knocking . `` Nothing , '' I said spiritlessly . `` If you 've been crying for three mortal hours over nothing you want a good spanking and you 'll get it , '' observed Aunt Philippa placidly , sitting down on my trunk . `` Get right up off that bed this minute and tell me what the trouble is . I 'm bound to know , for I 'm in your father 's place at present . '' `` There , then ! '' I flung her Mark 's letter . There was n't anything in it that it was sacrilege to let another person see . That was one reason why I had been crying . Aunt Philippa read it over twice .
Then she folded it up deliberately and put it back XXXXX the envelope .
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