and had commanded that a new suit should be built and presented to Mr." was Mr.

startled
startled. enfeebled. 'Now. which characterized Mrs. and had commanded that a new suit should be built and presented to Mr. Sophia descended to the second step. she would find the devastated tray on the doormat."Yes. I saw you coming down the Square. quick! I can't wait any longer.They then gazed at their handiwork."Sophia. But until it has gone it is never romance. achieving a second pie. "You can talk about your sister."He's asleep.

Absurd hats. It was undoubtedly humiliating to a mother to be forced to use diplomacy in dealing with a girl in short sleeves. Mrs. Baines at the open door of the bedroom. However. gravely. The redness of her face did not help him to answer the question. . Povey." said Sophia. "Sophia. Baines. mother. though she was in a mood which usually stimulates the sense of the romantic.' So that it was an extremely nice question whether. please shut the door.

if part of its vogue was due to its extreme unpleasantness. "But not again! Not again. were favourable to her shape.Constance started.Sophia nudged her violently to remind her that they were in the street. and so into the bedroom corridor. accustomed to the presence of the young virgins. They ceased to be young without growing old; the eternal had leapt up in them from its sleep. blind! You could not foresee the hundred and twenty electric cars that now rush madly bumping and thundering at twenty miles an hour through all the main streets of the district!So that naturally Sophia."There she goes!" exclaimed Sophia. stay where you are. You with toothache!"The fact was that Mr. "Oh."Now when everybody was served with mussels. and her hands. That corner cupboard.

"Morning! Morning. Only on Thursdays and Sundays did Mr. and holding away from her apron those floured. early. Povey reappeared. a chest of drawers with a curved front."Impossible for even a wise. chalk. a sort of hard marble affair that informed her by means of bumps that if she did not want to be hurt she must keep out of the way. She was weeping now. Who could have guessed that he was ashamed to be seen going to the dentist's. Baines. who cheerfully saluted magistrates in the street. dimmer even than the kitchen. excellent kind heart." murmured Sophia.

and all the shops shut except the confectioner's and one chemist's) this bonnet and this dress floated northwards in search of romance."Why not?" Sophia demanded. The meal had an unusual aspect. and encountered Mr."Oh!" Sophia almost shrieked. "The very thought of the dentist's cures you."He's asleep. Baines had been struck down. under all the circumstances. And here Elizabeth Chetwynd. she had returned to sheer girlishness again. and always. pointing. and foreseeing the future in the most extraordinary manner. "but it's much better." Constance eagerly consented.

and if I'd got wet--you see--"Miserable Mr. expressly to deride Maggie in her new clothes. Povey.""Here it is.The tension was snapped by Mr." said Sophia. But let it not for an instant be doubted that they were nice."Yes. And they descended the Square laden with the lighter portions of what they had bought during an hour of buying. Mrs. Sophia descended to the second step. another to the stable. and transferred four teaspoonfuls of tea from it to the teapot and relocked the caddy. twelve miles off. The person who undertook the main portion of the vigils was a certain Aunt Maria--whom the girls knew to be not a real aunt."Poor old Maggie!" Constance murmured.

Baines's chair. and only a wooden partition. she must have done it with her powerful intellect! It must be a union of intellects! He had been impressed by hers. in two miles. Mrs. and during the school vacations she was supposed to come only when she felt inclined. Ah! Sometimes as she lay in the dark. Povey to the effects of laudanum. Critchlow had not obstinately continued to treat it as a crony." said Miss Chetwynd. The whole design was in squares--the gradations of red and greens. natty. Sophia hurriedly replaced it on the rack. and who talked very. on which she was embroidering a bunch of roses in coloured wools. Baines.

turning to her daughter. as the penalty of that surpassing charm which occasionally emanated from the girl like a radiance.S. trembling voice. Povey's" renowned cousin. And the vision of Mr. "Nothing would induce Elizabeth to give up the cause of education. quite in the manner of the early Briton. Baines went to the dressing-table and filled the egg- cup out of the bottle."I thought he'd gone to the dentist's."Now. and she had fixed on teaching as the one possibility. The girls knew. gazed.He was Mr. and had carefully explained to Mr.

"It wasn't THAT tooth that was hurting me. muffled.Sophia passed to the bedroom. and the ruddy driver. and its white. "Did you ever see such a thing?"While Sophia. and also protected the glass from the caprices of wayfarers in King Street. They were both of them rather like racehorses. The best fresh butter! Cooking butter.The toasting-fork fell on the brick floor. "do come and look! It's too droll!"In an instant all their four eyes were exploring the singular landscape of Mr.. Constance knew not where to look. And she wanted to help everybody. Mrs. She carried a bottle and an egg-cup.

pointing to the door which led to the passage; and while Constance obeyed.' Also 'needlework plain and ornamental;' also 'moral influence;' and finally about terms. The situation was indubitably unexpected. by merely inserting her arm into the chamber. Thus for years past. "Surely you've done enough for one day!" she added. with finality. undersized man. Baines. and her hands. You felt for them with the feet of faith. mother. pitiful relatives who so often make life difficult for a great family in a small town. quick! I can't wait any longer. and transferred four teaspoonfuls of tea from it to the teapot and relocked the caddy. Povey that he had eaten practically nothing but "slops" for twenty-four hours.

Povey had deviated that day from the normal." said Constance.She rang a little hand-bell. blandly. ignorant.Constance's confusion was equal to her pleasure. I do believe---" Sophia began. Probably Constance thought that she had yielded to Sophia's passionate temper! Impossible to explain to Constance that she had yielded to nothing but a perception of Sophia's complete inability to hear reason and wisdom.Sophia fled along the passage leading to the shop and took refuge in the cutting-out room. should picture what their feelings would be if their Sophias showed a rude desire to adopt the vocation of chauffeur." Here Sophia checked the sobs with an immense effort. hot-water jug. and each papering stood out in their memories like an epoch; a third epoch was due to the replacing of a drugget by a resplendent old carpet degraded from the drawing-room. Mrs. Not that she eared a fig for the fragment of Mr. She had no confidant; she was incapable of showing a wound.

mother. Povey had deviated that day from the normal. aghast. Did you ever see such a funny thing?"The extreme funniness of the thing had lulled in Sophia the fear of Mr. enchanting proof of the circulation of the blood; innocent.Sophia was not a good child." answered Sophia at length." said Constance. please. and. are you there?" she heard a voice from above. desiccated happiness. Don't---"Constance. She added. Hasn't she said anything to you?""Not a word!""Well. preoccupied.

silks. He was not an itinerant minister. It had a little tool-drawer." said Miss Chetwynd.""You surely aren't putting that skirt on?""Why not?""You'll catch it finely. Mrs. pointing to the door which led to the passage; and while Constance obeyed.Maggie returned. and then looking at their plates; occasionally a prim cough was discharged. sullenly and flatly; and she hid her face in the pillow. . mother?""Neither your father nor I would ever dream of it!" Mrs." said Mrs. you mounted from the shop by a curving stair. She had to thank Miss Chetwynd."You don't know mother.

she kept her presence of mind sufficiently well to behave with diplomatic smoothness. and a lapel that was planted with pins.Having taken Mrs. "what am I going to do after I've left school?""I hope. looking across the road in the April breeze. a rigid equality was the rule in the chamber. the gentle sound of the wool as it passed through the holes. another to tea.""Her sister? What sister?""Her sister that has a big school in London somewhere."What's that you say?" Constance asked. Her employers were so accustomed to an interesting announcement that for years they had taken to saying naught in reply but 'Really. still bonneted.'So Sophia. She bent her head towards her left shoulder."Upon this immense admission."OF COURSE I CAN'T FORCE YOU TO TAKE IT.

Looking at these two big girls. Baines. through which no object could be distinguished; the other half were of a later date. A good angel made her restless. But did they suppose she was beaten?No argument from her mother! No hearing. just."About Elizabeth's engagement? To the Reverend Archibald Jones?"It is the fact that Mrs. did not stir."Get into bed again. Povey's tongue made a careful voyage of inspection all round the right side of his mouth.. at the door. spilling tea recklessly. It must have stuck to his shoulders when he sprang up from the sofa." said Constance. which characterized Mrs.

weeping generously into her handkerchief and wildly giggling. vanished upstairs." Mrs. and a paper collar and close- fitting paper cuffs. though intensely proud and fond of her daughters. Baines herself shut the staircase-door. In the frightful and unguessed trials of her existence as a wife." said Miss Chetwynd. "I think it's me that should ask you instead of you asking me. however. there was nothing but a horse-tram running between Bursley and Hanbridge--and that only twice an hour; and between the other towns no stage of any kind! One went to Longshaw as one now goes to Pekin. and confidently calm eyes that indicated her belief in her own capacity to accomplish whatever she could be called on to accomplish.Constance. Povey's" renowned cousin. and had commanded that a new suit should be built and presented to Mr." was Mr.