Matthew's on the whole unappreciative of their
efforts, but that made their task the nobler. Their house was dark and
musty, and filled with little articles left them by their grand-parents,
their parents, and other defunct relations. They had no friendly feeling
towards one another, but missed one another when they were separated.
They were, both of them, as strong as horses, but very hypochondriacal,
and Dr. Armstrong of Mulberry Place made a very pleasant little income
out of them.
I have mentioned them at length, because they had a great deal to do
with Angelina's quiet behaviour. No. 21 was not a house that welcomed a
child's ringing laughter. But, in any case, the Misses Braid were not
fond of children, but only took Angelina because they had a soft spot in
their dry hearts for their brother Jim, and in any case it would have
been difficult to say no.
Their attitude to children was that they could not understand why they
did not instantly see things as they, their elders, saw them; but then,
on the other hand, if an especially bright child did take a grown-up
point of view about anything _that_ was considered "forward" and
"conceited," so that it was really very difficult for Angelina.
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