She made Janet sit by her and stroked her hand occasionally . Janet sat and smiled , looking horribly uncomfortable in her hideous dress , and John Douglas sat without smiling . At the tea table Mrs. Douglas gracefully asked Janet to pour the tea . Janet turned redder than ever but did it . Anne wrote a description of that meal to Stella . `` We had cold tongue and chicken and strawberry preserves , lemon pie and tarts and chocolate cake and raisin cookies and pound cake and fruit cake -- and a few other things , including more pie -- caramel pie , I think it was . After I had eaten twice as much as was good for me , Mrs. Douglas sighed and said she feared she had nothing to tempt my appetite . '' ` I 'm afraid dear Janet 's cooking has spoiled you for any other , ' she said sweetly . ` Of course nobody in Valley Road aspires to rival HER . WO N'T you have another piece of pie , Miss Shirley ? You have n't eaten ANYTHING . ' `` Stella , I had eaten a helping of tongue and one of chicken , three biscuits , a generous allowance of preserves , a piece of pie , a tart , and a square of chocolate cake ! '' After tea Mrs. Douglas smiled benevolently and told John to take `` dear Janet '' out into the garden and get her some roses . `` Miss Shirley will keep me company while you are out -- wo n't you ? '' she said plaintively . She settled down in her armchair with a sigh . `` I am a very frail old woman , Miss Shirley . For over twenty years I 've been a great sufferer . For twenty long , weary years I 've been dying by inches . '' `` How painful ! ''
said Anne , trying to be sympathetic and succeeding only XXXXX feeling idiotic .
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