Before Miss Marshall had finished reading that letter she had cried three times and laughed times past counting . More tears came at the end -- happy , tender tears such as Miss Marshall had not shed for years . Something warm and sweet and gentle seemed to thrill to life within her heart . So those girls were not such selfish , heedless young creatures as she had supposed ! How kind it had been in Cyrilla Blair to think of her and write so to her . She no longer felt lonely and neglected . Her whole sombre world had been brightened to sunshine by that merry friendly letter . Mrs. Plunkett 's table was surrounded by a ring of smiling faces that night . Everybody seemed in good spirits in spite of the weather . The pale little dressmaker , who had hardly uttered a word since her arrival a week before , talked and laughed quite merrily and girlishly , thanking Cyrilla unreservedly for her `` jolly letter . '' Old Mr. Grant did not grumble once about the rain or the food or his rheumatism and he told Carol that she might be a good letter writer in time if she looked after her grammar more carefully -- which , from Mr. Grant , was high praise . All the others declared that they were delighted with their letters -- all except Miss Marshall . She said nothing but later on , when Cyrilla was going upstairs , she met Miss Marshall in the shadows of the second landing . `` My dear , '' said Miss Marshall gently , `` I want to thank you for your letter , I do n't think you can realize just what it has meant to me . I was so -- so lonely and tired and discouraged . It heartened me right up . I -- I know you have thought me a cross and disagreeable person . I 'm afraid I have been , too . But -- but -- I shall try to be less so in future . If I ca n't succeed all at once do n't mind me because , under it all , I shall always be your friend .
And I mean XXXXX keep your letter and read it over every time I feel myself getting bitter and hard again . ''
Before So about as at in since to under with