`` It 's a pity he does n't wake up oftener . He said I was n't to blame for Mrs. Wiley dying , but that I must try to think of her good points and not of her bad ones . I dunno what good points she had , unless it was keeping her house clean and making first-class butter . I know I ` most wore my arms out scrubbing her old kitchen floor with the knots in it . But anything your father says goes with me after this . '' Mary proved a rather dull companion in the following days , however . She confided to Una that the more she thought of going back to the asylum the more she hated it . Una racked her small brains for some way of averting it , but it was Nan Blythe who came to the rescue with a somewhat startling suggestion . `` Mrs. Elliott might take Mary herself . She has a great big house and Mr. Elliott is always wanting her to have help . It would be just a splendid place for Mary . Only she 'd have to behave herself . '' `` Oh , Nan , do you think Mrs. Elliott would take her ? '' `` It would n't do any harm if you asked her , '' said Nan . At first Una did not think she could . She was so shy that to ask a favour of anybody was agony to her . And she was very much in awe of the bustling , energetic Mrs. Elliott . She liked her very much and always enjoyed a visit to her house ; but to go and ask her to adopt Mary Vance seemed such a height of presumption that Una 's timid spirit quailed . When the Hopetown authorities wrote to Mr. Meredith to send Mary to them without delay Mary cried herself to sleep in the manse attic that night and Una found a desperate courage . The next evening she slipped away from the manse to the harbour road .
Far down XXXXX Rainbow Valley she heard joyous laughter but her way lay not there .
At after for from if in out to unless with