`` Oh , did you really have a little girl once ? '' asked Charlotte softly . `` Yes , and she died , '' said the Pretty Lady in a trembling voice . `` Oh , I am sorry , '' said Charlotte , more softly still . `` Did she -- did she have lovely golden hair and pink cheeks like yours ? '' `` No , '' the Pretty Lady smiled again , though it was a very sad smile . `` No , she had mouse-coloured hair and freckles . '' `` Oh ! And were n't you sorry ? '' `` No , I was glad of it , because it made her look like her father . I 've always loved little girls with mouse-coloured hair and freckles ever since . Well , I must hurry along . I 'm late now , and schools have a dreadful habit of going in sharp on time . If you should happen to be here tomorrow , I 'm going to stop and ask your name . '' Of course Charlotte was at the gap the next day and they had a lovely talk . In a week they were the best of friends . Charlotte soon found out that she could make the Pretty Lady 's eyes look as they ought to for a little while at least , and she spent all her spare time and lay awake at nights devising speeches to make the Pretty Lady laugh . Then another wonderful thing happened . One evening when Charlotte went to the southeast gap , the Tall Lady with the Black Eyes was not in the garden -- at least , Charlotte thought she was n't . But the Very Handsome Cat was , sitting gravely under a syringa bush and looking quite proud of himself for being a cat .
`` You Very Handsome Cat , '' XXXXX Charlotte , `` wo n't you come here and let me stroke you ? ''
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