The Old Lady kept her secret and grew young in it . She walked back to the Mayflower hill as long as the Mayflowers lasted ; and she always hid in the spruces to see Sylvia Gray go by . Every day she loved her more , and yearned after her more deeply . All the long repressed tenderness of her nature overflowed to this girl who was unconscious of it . She was proud of Sylvia 's grace and beauty , and sweetness of voice and laughter . She began to like the Spencer children because they worshipped Sylvia ; she envied Mrs. Spencer because the latter could minister to Sylvia 's needs . Even the egg pedlar seemed a delightful person because he brought news of Sylvia -- her social popularity , her professional success , the love and admiration she had won already . The Old Lady never dreamed of revealing herself to Sylvia . That , in her poverty , was not to be thought of for a moment . It would have been very sweet to know her -- sweet to have her come to the old house -- sweet to talk to her -- to enter into her life . But it might not be . The Old Lady 's pride was still far stronger than her love . It was the one thing she had never sacrificed and never -- so she believed -- could sacrifice . II . The June Chapter There were no Mayflowers in June ; but now the Old Lady 's garden was full of blossoms and every morning Sylvia found a bouquet of them by the beech -- the perfumed ivory of white narcissus , the flame of tulips , the fairy branches of bleeding-heart , the pink-and-snow of little , thorny , single , sweetbreathed early roses . The Old Lady had no fear of discovery , for the flowers that grew in her garden grew in every other Spencervale garden as well , including the Stewart garden . Chris Stewart , when he was teased about the music teacher , merely smiled and held his peace . Chris knew perfectly well who was the real giver of those flowers . He had made it his business to find out when the Mayflower gossip started . But since it was evident Old Lady Lloyd did not wish it to be known , Chris told no one .
Chris had always liked Old Lady Lloyd ever since the day , ten years before , when she had found him crying XXXXX the woods with a cut foot and had taken him into her house , and bathed and bound the wound , and given him ten cents to buy candy at the store .
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