"
"Which it is very often best not to do."
"I do believe," said Ellen, "Aunt Fortune would like to have
Mr. Van Brunt not like me."
"Well," said Alice, "what then?"
"Nothing, I suppose, Ma’am."
"I hope you are not going to lay it up against her?"
"No, Ma’am, I hope not."
"Take care, dear Ellen — don't take up the trade of suspecting
evil; you could not take up a worse; and even when it is
forced upon you, see as little of it as you can, and forget as
soon as you can what you see. Your aunt, it may be, is not a
very happy person, and no one can tell but those that are
unhappy how hard it is not to be unamiable too. Return good
for evil as fast as you can, and you will soon either have
nothing to complain of or be very well able to bear it."
They now began to go up the mountain, and the path became in
places steep and rugged enough. "There is an easier way on the
other side," said Alice, "but this is the nearest for us."
Captain Parry now showed signs of being decidedly weary, and
permitted Alice to take him up. But he presently mounted from
her arms to her shoulder, and to Ellen's great amusement, kept
his place there, passing from one shoulder to the other, and
every now and then sticking his nose up into her bonnet as if
to kiss her.
"What _does_ he do that for?" said Ellen.
"Because he loves me, and is pleased," said Alice.
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