Her poor father indulged her in everything , and she has a will of her own , I assure you . I have really no control over her , whatever . She does as she pleases , and is ruining her complexion by running and galloping out of doors the whole time . Not that she had much complexion to start with . The Churchills never had , you know . '' ... Sara cast a complacent glance at her delicately tinted reflection in the mirror ... `` I tried to make Betty wear a sunbonnet this summer , but I might as well have talked to the wind . '' A vision of Betty in a sunbonnet presented itself to my mind , and afforded me so much amusement that I was grateful to Sara for having furnished it . I rewarded her with a compliment . `` It is to be regretted that Betty has not inherited her mother 's charming color , '' I said , `` but we must do the best we can for her under her limitations . She may have improved vastly by the time she has grown up . And , at least , we must make a lady of her ; she is a most alarming tomboy at present , but there is good material to work upon ... there must be , in the Churchill and Currie blend . But even the best material may be spoiled by unwise handling . I think I can promise you that I will not spoil it . I feel that Betty is my vocation ; and I shall set myself up as a rival of Wordsworth 's ` nature , ' of whose methods I have always had a decided distrust , in spite of his insidious verses . '' Sara did not understand me in the least ; but , then , she did not pretend to . `` I confide Betty 's education entirely to you , Stephen , '' she said , with another plaintive sigh . `` I feel sure I could not put it into better hands . You have always been a person who could be thoroughly depended on . '' Well , that was something by way of reward for a life-long devotion . I felt that I was satisfied with my position as unofficial advisor-in-chief to Sara and self-appointed guardian of Betty .
I also felt that , for the furtherance of the cause I had taken XXXXX heart , it was a good thing that Sara had again refused to marry me .
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