Lina laughed roguishly . `` Why , yes , Auntie , ever so many . A dozen , at least . '' `` Oh , my dear ! '' cried Miss Madeline in a slightly shocked tone . `` But I did , really . Sometimes it was horrid and sometimes it was funny . It all depended on the man . Dear me , how red and uncomfortable most of them looked -- all but the fifth . He was so cool and business like that he almost surprised me into accepting him . '' `` And -- and what did you feel like , Lina ? '' `` Oh , frightened , mostly -- but I always wanted to laugh too . You must know how it is yourself , Auntie . What did you feel like when somebody proposed to you ? '' Miss Madeline flushed from chin to brow . `` Oh , Lina , '' she faltered as if she were confessing something very disgraceful , yet to which she was impelled by her strict truthfulness , `` I -- I -- never had a proposal in my life -- not one . '' Lina opened her big brown eyes in amazement . `` Why , Aunt Madeline ! And you so pretty ! What was the reason ? ''
`` I 've often wondered , '' said XXXXX Madeline faintly .
Auntie Miss business laugh life proposal reason somebody something tone