i want to know what emma thinks about the house . a quiet , private place where she could gather her wits and her courage . `` do n't tell me things i already know , '' she said , mistress to her slave . they may not remember me , but the reverse is not true . '' i also had a pair from my father , but i rarely wore them . the floor of the parlor was still very beautifully finished , apparently from the time stella had used it as a dance floor . 