She would not have been so successful if she had not been so sure that Sylvia had no idea of the old romance between her and Leslie Gray . As it was , she had a comfortable conviction that she herself was the very last person Sylvia would be likely to suspect . Sylvia hesitated for an almost unnoticeable moment . Then she said , `` I have n't tried to find out , because I do n't think she wants me to know . At first , of course , in the matter of the flowers and dress , I did try to solve the mystery ; but , since I received the book , I became convinced that it was my fairy godmother who was doing it all , and I have respected her wish for concealment and always shall . Perhaps some day she will reveal herself to me . I hope so , at least . '' `` I would n't hope it , '' said the Old Lady discouragingly . `` Fairy godmothers -- at least , in all the fairy tales I ever read -- are somewhat apt to be queer , crochety people , much more agreeable when wrapped up in mystery than when met face to face . '' `` I 'm convinced that mine is the very opposite , and that the better I became acquainted with her , the more charming a personage I should find her , '' said Sylvia gaily . Mrs. Marshall came up at this juncture and entreated Miss Gray to sing for them . Miss Gray consenting sweetly , the Old Lady was left alone and was rather glad of it . She enjoyed her conversation with Sylvia much more in thinking it over after she got home than while it was taking place . When an Old Lady has a guilty conscience , it is apt to make her nervous and distract her thoughts from immediate pleasure . She wondered a little uneasily if Sylvia really did suspect her . Then she concluded that it was out of the question . Who would suspect a mean , unsociable Old Lady , who had no friends , and who gave only five cents to the Sewing Circle when everyone else gave ten or fifteen , to be a fairy godmother , the donor of beautiful party dresses , and the recipient of gifts from romantic , aspiring young poets ? V . The September Chapter In September the Old Lady looked back on the summer and owned to herself that it had been a strangely happy one , with Sundays and Sewing Circle days standing out like golden punctuation marks in a poem of life . She felt like an utterly different woman ; and other people thought her different also .
The Sewing Circle women found her so pleasant , and even friendly , XXXXX they began to think they had misjudged her , and that perhaps it was eccentricity after all , and not meanness , which accounted for her peculiar mode of living .
As In at because between for from on that to