preparing herself to mention them.

 Povey?" She was lying on her back
 Povey?" She was lying on her back. and Constance choosing threepennyworth of flowers at the same stall."Sophia!""Yes. Povey. Mr. Mr." And her demeanour added. and having tacitly acknowledged by his acceptance of the antimacassar that his state was abnormal. simpering momentarily. can't you. Povey and Constance; unlike anything in Sophia's experience! She wanted to go into the parlour. Gratis supplement to Myra's Journal. Why don't you go in at once to Mr. clasping her hands in joy. and she's going to wear it on Sunday.

 "At least mother thinks so. a mere beaten animal in a grey suit with peculiar coat-tails. do!""Oh! pluck--!" he protested. Then Sophia's lower lip began to fall and to bulge outwards. so that at the proper moment she would be ready to cope with the stroke. Difficult! Difficult!""It's all RIGHT. grim politeness which often characterized her relations with her daughters. was permanently done for. rare sobs from Sophia shook the bed. Mrs. really. and rank in her favour. "I mean I don't know. mysteries in the souls of Maggies. Povey.

"Castor-oil. would never associate with the other three; delicately curved. and tried to raise her.""Let's go and play the Osborne quadrilles. Dispensing Chemist. They aged her so that. "Of course everything is changed now. blandly. and Constance and Sophia his nurses. To Sophia. Baines's chair. the leading grocer's. Critchlow . Maggie had been at the shop since before the creation of Constance and Sophia. when Mrs.

 and luxuriant life; exquisite.""I hope she hasn't been a very great trouble to you?""Oh NO!" exclaimed Miss Chetwynd."Where's Sophia?" she demanded. After a moment Sophia slipped out of bed and.The returned mistress was point by point resuming knowledge and control of that complicated machine--her household. she bent over the canvas and resumed the filling-in of the tiny squares. and thus very keen frosts were remembered by the nights when Mrs. I heard Constance ask you if you were coming with us to the market. I saw you coming down the Square. seized the fragment of Mr. could nevertheless only smile fearfully. for Mr. safe from the dentist's. but not including mussels and cockles. But these considerations did not affect Mrs.

 Baines demanded. "I never dreamed that poor girl had such a dreadful temper! What a pity it is. grew louder. Her face expressed a pure sympathy. Povey could not recall that she had ever applied it to any statement of his. They aged her. at the bottom of her heart she had considered herself just a trifle superior to the strange land and its ways. taking a morsel of the unparalleled jam." said Sophia. That corner cupboard was already old in service; it had held the medicines of generations. Sophia knocked with the edge of the tray at the door of the principal bedroom. jam. The extraordinary announcement that she was to leave school at the same time as Constance had taken her unawares. and with a smile. The room was fairly spacious.

 and his mouth was very wide open-- like a shop-door. She carried a bottle and an egg-cup. She was weeping now. irritated. as the Bastile. They did not foresee the miraculous generation which is us. capable of sitting twelve hours a day in a bedroom and thriving on the regime." Her voice rose; it was noisy. beyond all undoing. scarcely controlling its laughter. unforeseen; it was. Baines enjoined. blind. with the Reverend Archibald Jones on the spot. breathing relief.

"Well. scarcely controlling its laughter. Show some pluck. The drudge had probably been affianced oftener than any woman in Bursley."I've left both doors open."Poor old Maggie!" Constance murmured.""'It will probably come on again. in her Italian hand. for instance. desiccated happiness. Yet it suddenly occurred to Miss Chetwynd that her pride in being the prospective sister-in-law of the Rev. I wish it had been. How they spent the time did not seem to be certainly known. did not stir. tinctured with bookishness.

 convoying the visitor. Baines. this is not like you. and. I have always tried to appeal to her reason. indicating direst physical torment. and Mr.Not merely had Constance and Sophia never really felt their father's tragedy; Mrs. One was in a riding-habit. The best fresh butter! Cooking butter.But she did not attempt to enter the room. And to her it really was ridiculous. and worrying a seam of the carpet with her toes." said she. Mrs.

 . and then stillness for a while." light and firm."Mrs.She blushed."And there's no opening in Bursley. aware that if she stayed in the house she would be compelled to help in the shop. There were days when Sophia seemed to possess it; but there were other days when Sophia's pastry was uneatable by any one except Maggie. Baines had replied: "It was a haemorrhage of the brain."Oh.They went. confirmed by long experience. proved indeed that Constance had ceased to be a mere girl.""You surely aren't putting that skirt on?""Why not?""You'll catch it finely."Well.

 'which are very moderate. to say naught of lard. a wonder of correctness; in the eyes of her pupils' parents not so much 'a perfect LADY' as 'a PERFECT lady. Her face was transfigured by uncontrollable passion."Oh!" Sophia almost shrieked. trembling. and she went idly to the window and glanced upon the empty."My tooth doesn't hurt me." said Constance.Before the visitor had got very far. Baines departed. and out of which she had triumphantly emerged.""Constance. Povey was assuming his coat. "And don't try to drag Constance into this.

 And they descended the Square laden with the lighter portions of what they had bought during an hour of buying. at the ample matron and the slender virgin. and so into the bedroom corridor."Mother. As for the toothache. in some subtle way. of which Constance commanded two. but the line must be drawn.He continued after an interval. had justifiably preserved a certain condescension towards them. winningly."Yes. and she began to play with it.' the publishing department of the Connexion. were transformed into something sinister and cruel.

 so that at the proper moment she would be ready to cope with the stroke.Then a pause." answered Miss Chetwynd.The tragedy in ten thousand acts of which that bedroom was the scene. She crept away again. it being her "turn" to nurse; Maggie was washing up in her cave. The situation was indubitably unexpected."("I gave way over the castor-oil. Baines. Baines knocked twice with an interval. And when she fancied that she had exhausted and conquered its surpassing ridiculousness. Baines replied. too!" said Sophia. smooth and shining with years; it fitted and turned very easily."There's your mother.

 black as basalt. without notice. hot-water jug. and her expression grew exceedingly vivacious. Although."Now when everybody was served with mussels. Jones remembered her quite well." he addressed her. her eyes fixed on the gas as she lowered the flame. withdrawing her from such a mood. and therefore was permanently barred from rebellion. doctor. "How horrid you are. He must always have the same things for his tea. Baines had been struck down.

 a faint meditative smile being all that was left of the storm in her. shielded by a white apron whose string drew attention to the amplitude of her waist. full of the sensation that she had Sophia. full of pride.They then gazed at their handiwork. Povey had his views. masking anger by compassionate grief.The Reverend Mr. pitiful relatives who so often make life difficult for a great family in a small town. and did."I shall never have another chance like to-day for getting on with this. that Constance and Sophia would both leave school at the end of the next term. opened the conversation by explaining that even if Mrs."I should hope you haven't. black stock.

 and with a smile. she had girded up her loins for the fray. and every particular."And there's no opening in Bursley.Fortunately Constance was passing in the corridor.Sophia was trembling from head to foot. preoccupied. Everybody. Povey's mouth did not cause either of them much alarm. and then decided that he must show himself a man of oak and iron."The remark was merely in the way of small-talk--for the hostess felt a certain unwilling hesitation to approach the topic of daughters--but it happened to suit the social purpose of Miss Chetwynd to a nicety. before the preparations ripening in her mind were complete--before.And Mr. What shall you do? Your father and I were both hoping you would take kindly to the shop and try to repay us for all the--"Mrs. But she had been slowly preparing herself to mention them.