asked Charlotte . `` You know when James Sheldon died five years ago , we wrote to Elizabeth and asked her to come home and live with us , and she seemed almost resentful in the letter she wrote back . I 've never said so before , but I 've often thought it . '' `` Yes , she did , '' said Ellen , who had often thought so too , but never said so . `` Elizabeth was always very independent , '' remarked George . `` Perhaps she thought your letter savoured of charity or pity . No Ingelow would endure that . '' `` At any rate , you know she refused to come , even for a visit . She said she could not leave the farm . She may refuse to let her child come . '' `` It wo n't do any harm to ask her , '' said George . In the end , Charlotte wrote to Elizabeth and asked her to let her daughter visit the old homestead . The letter was written and mailed in much perplexity and distrust when once the glow of momentary enthusiasm in the new idea had passed . `` What if Elizabeth 's child is like her father ? '' queried Charlotte in a half-whisper . `` Let us hope she wo n't be ! '' cried Ellen fervently . Indeed , she felt that a feminine edition of James Sheldon would be more than she could endure . `` She may not like us , or our ways , '' sighed Charlotte . `` We do n't know how she has been brought up .
She will seem XXXXX a stranger after all .
At for if in like of than that to with