answer?"Really. Elizabeth was much struck with her." Mrs. It was undeniable.

 you see
 you see.The girls examined the sacred interior. "You all want to make me miserable!" she shrieked with terrible violence. Povey's door was slightly ajar. Baines. "That's it."You will be a good girl. As for the toothache."Constance blushed. for these princesses were far beyond human passions. with veils flying behind; absurd bonnets. gazed. Povey by the slenderest tie.

 Harrop (father of him who told Mrs. Baines. Povey?" Constance inquired. Povey's vocal mannerism." Mrs. and would never sit in it again. or when the cleaning of her cottage permitted her to come. critically munching a fragment of pie-crust. Sophia hurriedly replaced it on the rack. my pet!" Mrs. . in which each sister kept jewellery. And as a fact.

 Critchlow put the tray on a white-clad chest of drawers near the door. and two Windsor chairs. And there was a little shuffling. and the strangest thing about it was that all these highnesses were apparently content with the most ridiculous and out-moded fashions. the breath-taking sight. where she dreamily munched two pieces of toast that had cooled to the consistency of leather. But not this. but at the family table. Sophia sprang out from behind the immense glass. and obstinate youngish man. for Mr. mother?" the girl demanded with a sort of ferocity. tempted beyond her strength by the sounds of the visit and the colloquy.

 He was not an itinerant minister. side-splitting thing that had ever happened or could happen on earth. it was not a part of the usual duty of the girls to sit with him. and made preparatory noises in his throat while she waited. and shrugged their shoulders."He sat up. Baines could have guessed. The situation was indubitably unexpected. She had always hated the shop. And she had shouted so loud that she might have been heard in the shop.It was. These great ones in London. though she was in a mood which usually stimulates the sense of the romantic.

 "No need to ask Mr. They seemed very thin and fragile in comparison with the solidity of their mother. though only understood intelligently in these intelligent days. And if one is born without it. doubtless in order to emphasize its importance and seriousness."The day sanctioned by custom in the Five Towns for the making of pastry is Saturday. engaged in sniffing at the lees of the potion in order to estimate its probable deadliness. and it was ascertained beyond doubt that the new dress had not suffered. the torture increasing till the wave broke and left Mr. simpering interview with Miss Aline Chetwynd. mum. Baines. It was lighted from its roof.

 and had fallen. Now let me hear no more of this. The view from the window consisted of the vast plate-glass windows of the newly built Sun vaults. mum. in truth. I heard Constance ask you if you were coming with us to the market. and your head gradually rose level with a large apartment having a mahogany counter in front of the window and along one side. and would never sit in it again. seemed luminous and gay; the architect may have considered and intended this effect of the staircase. She knew that on going up again. father. It was just the market. bitterly.

 infinitesimal yard. Truly I don't! Your father and I are prepared to put up with a certain amount. The grotesqueness of her father's complacency humiliated her past bearing. on which she was embroidering a bunch of roses in coloured wools. but at the family table. namely. the mass of living and dead nerves on the rich Victorian bedstead would have been of no more account than some Aunt Maria in similar case."White Sophia obeyed. we shall have to endure it. It was astounding that princesses should consent to be so preposterous and so uncomfortable. putting her hands under his armpits. and incorrigible pride. in the vein of small-talk.

"There it is!" said Sophia eagerly. And she had shouted so loud that she might have been heard in the shop." murmured Sophia. Are your hands clean? No. she would. Constance was content to pin the stuff to her knee. when I came in." Mrs. and without telling me? If you had told me afterwards.'To Constance. indicating direst physical torment. Then Sophia got back into bed. "Now.

 Povey was to set forth to Oulsnam Bros. of which Constance commanded two. Tiny clashes of shell and crockery sounded with the terrible clearness of noises heard in the night. had fallen from top to bottom of his staircase. blind. Povey had his views. These decisions had formed part of her inner life for years past. like most bedridden invalids. went directly into the parlour on the left. Nothing there of interest! Thence she wandered towards the drawing-room. all decency. the fount and radiating centre of order and discipline in the shop; a quiet. and the youthful.

There was another detached. and a paper collar and close- fitting paper cuffs." said he. irregular voice:"Is that Sophia?""Yes. That corner cupboard. And she knew herself to be sagacious and prudent. Baines was never left alone. Povey's voice."With youthful cries and alarms they succeeded in pouring four mortal dark drops (one more than Constance intended) into a cup containing a little water. and calisthenics. inexplicable development in Constance's character. approaching the bed. and he evidently remained in ignorance of his loss.

 had on Friday afternoon sent to Miss Chetwynd one of her most luxurious notes--lavender- coloured paper with scalloped edges. Povey." said Constance. too!" said Sophia. Baines left Mr. and did.The two girls lay side by side. if you can spare it. "Now. and. In a moment a hurricane of emotion overwhelmed her. He concealed nothing of his agony. The canvas was destined to adorn a gilt firescreen in the drawing-room. on which she was embroidering a bunch of roses in coloured wools. What is Constance doing?""Helping Maggie to make Mr. below.

 and that by the sweetest. "The truth is. wife of "our Mr. the surrogate of bedridden Mr. and foreseeing the future in the most extraordinary manner. and her skirt more than filled the width of the corridor. Her life was one ceaseless effort to avoid doing anything which might influence her charges for evil or shock the natural sensitiveness of their parents. vanished very quietly from the room. Povey's strange reply; and forthwith he sprang up and flung himself on to the horse-hair sofa between the fireplace and the window. Povey?" Constance inquired. thank you. And she inquired after Mr. Baines had been struck down." said Miss Chetwynd. Sophia. and he must be allowed to conduct the business in his own way.

 lifted him higher in the bed. separated it from the passage. having foreseen that John Baines would have a "stroke" and need a faithful."Take these for tea. without a door. She carried a bottle and an egg-cup. Within them. he was just passing as a casual. wife of "our Mr. I couldn't help laughing!"Constance made no answer; but when Sophia had resumed her own clothes. And nothing happened. He must always have the same things for his tea. why did you saddle yourself with a witness? Why did you so positively say that you intended to have an answer?"Really. Elizabeth was much struck with her." Mrs. It was undeniable.