The Girl (Mrs Dorling's Daughter)

Mrs Dorling's daughter, a girl of about fifteen, appears on the narrator's second visit. She has a broad back "just like her mother," hinting that she may grow into the same mould. Unlike her mother, however, she is friendly, welcoming and innocent — she lets the stranger in, offers tea and chats openly. Crucially, she is unaware of the true history of the objects around her: she proudly calls them "antique," says the family uses them "for everything," and does not even know the everyday cutlery is silver. Her cheerful ignorance intensifies the pathos of the scene, for she treats …