Page:What Maisie Knew (Chicago & New York, Herbert S. Stone & Co., 1897).djvu/41

had its turn, this time, for the child, of appearing but remotely contingent; so that, to reassure her, there was scarce a need of her companion's secret, solemnly confided—the idea that there should be no going back to mamma at all. It was Miss Overmore's private conviction, and apart of the same communication, that if Mr. Farange's daughter would only show a really marked preference she would be backed up by "public opinion" in holding on to him. Poor Maisie could scarcely grasp that incentive, but she could surrender herself to the day. She had conceived her first passion, and the object of it was her governess. It had not been put to her, and she could n't or at any rate she didn't put it to herself, that she liked Miss Overmore better than she liked papa; but it would have sustained her under such an imputation to feel herself able to reply that papa too liked Miss Overmore exactly as much. He had particularly told her so. Besides she could easily see it.