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"You're fond of Ludovic, aren't you?" asked Anne, detecting a note
of real bitterness among Theodora's paradoxes.
"Laws, yes," said Theodora candidly. She did not think
it worth while to blush over so settled a fact. "I think
the world and all of Ludovic. And he certainly does need
somebody to look after HIM. He's neglected--he looks frayed.
You can see that for yourself. That old aunt of his looks
after his house in some fashion, but she doesn't look after him.
And he's coming now to the age when a man needs to be looked
after and coddled a bit. I'm lonesome here, and Ludovic is
lonesome up there, and it does seem ridiculous, doesn't it?
I don't wonder that we're the standing joke of Grafton. Goodness knows,
I laugh at it enough myself. I've sometimes thought that
if Ludovic could be made jealous it might spur him along.
But I never could flirt and there's nobody to flirt with if I could.
Everybody hereabouts looks upon me as Ludovic's property and nobody
would dream of interfering with him."
"Theodora," cried Anne, "I have a plan!"
"Now, what are you going to do?" exclaimed Theodora.
Anne told her. At first Theodora laughed and protested. In the end,
she yielded somewhat doubtfully, overborne by Anne's enthusiasm.
"Well, try it, then," she said, resignedly. "If Ludovic gets mad
and leaves me, I'll be worse off than ever. But nothing venture,
nothing win. And there is a fighting chance, I suppose.
Besides, I must admit I'm tired of his dilly-dallying."
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