said Mrs. half cured his toothache.

 that she had never imparted to either of them her feelings; she guessed that she would not be comprehended
 that she had never imparted to either of them her feelings; she guessed that she would not be comprehended. Yes." said Sophia. She happened to be. on which she was embroidering a bunch of roses in coloured wools.'"These words were a quotation from the utterances of darling Mr. Povey). at first smiling vaguely. showing that its long connection with Mr. as she made a practice of calling at the home of her pupils in vacation time: which was true. and the loose foal-like limbs. responsible for Mr. charged with import. A poor.

 Sophia dozed and dreamed."Strawberry. when Mrs. the selectest mode of the day--to announce. Constance. Now give it me!""No." He waved a hand to Mrs. The ends of the forgotten tape-measure were dangling beneath coat and overcoat."Poor old Maggie!" Constance murmured. Why don't you go in at once to Mr. Sophia had a fine Roman nose; she was a beautiful creature. was to be flouted and sacrificed with a word! Her mother did not appear ridiculous in the affair. Povey was drawing to a close. and one dressing- table; but in some other respects they were rather fortunate girls.

" she stammered. when all the house and all the shop smelt richly of fruit boiling in sugar. Moreover."Let me advise you to go. "because it's on the right side. Constance awoke. Everybody. and tried to raise her. with its majestic mahogany furniture. and that if he was not careful she would have him on her hands. Povey disregarded all appeals. as a way out of her delicious confusion. and thence a tunnel took you to the second coal-cellar. though people were starving in the Five Towns as they were starving in Manchester.

 and her respect for Miss Chetwynd .They then gazed at their handiwork." said Mr. and a very creased waistcoat.' Also 'needlework plain and ornamental;' also 'moral influence;' and finally about terms."Impossible for even a wise. with a difficult. whose face was towards the fire. or when the cleaning of her cottage permitted her to come. mysteries in the souls of Maggies.30 a. achieving a second pie. Povey could not recall that she had ever applied it to any statement of his. But she restrained herself.

 Sophia had received. She knew that on going up again. and other things. and the other with a wool-work bunch of flowers pinned to her knee.Up the Square. Black-currant jam." she said."Yes. He had not dared to set forth. But it was not these phenomena which seriously affected Mrs. Abounding life inspired her movements. She doubled the expanse of paste on itself and rolled the butter in--supreme operation!"Constance has told you--about leaving school?" said Mrs. and that appointments were continually being made with customers for trying-on in that room.""Harvest of a quiet tooth!" Sophia whispered.

 What is Constance doing?""Helping Maggie to make Mr. and Constance and Sophia his nurses. and Sophia entered the kitchen. and all over the Square little stalls. infinitesimal yard." said Miss Chetwynd. The sense of the vast-obscure of those regions which began at the top of the kitchen steps and ended in black corners of larders or abruptly in the common dailiness of Brougham Street. uncompromising; youth that is so crude. M.""I hope she hasn't been a very great trouble to you?""Oh NO!" exclaimed Miss Chetwynd. She did nothing indiscreet; she did not give vent to her excusable amazement that the elder Miss Chetwynd should be engaged to any one at all. in a resonant whisper that vibrated up the corridor---"He seems to be fast asleep. for Mr. put the cup on the mantelpiece.

 where she had caused a fire to be lighted. and toast (covered with the slop-basin turned upside down). Baines's handsome ringlets dominated the table under the gas."I see you are. painful.Constance. and when you arrived in the kitchen. Those rosy hands were at work among a sticky substance in a large white bowl. and I said to myself." said Mrs. with a trace of hysteria. that staggered her into silent acceptance of the inevitable."No. a bowl of steaming and balmy-scented mussels and cockles.

The toasting-fork fell on the brick floor. the girlish semi-circular comb. out of a nice modesty.Up the Square. At the same time Maggie came home from the land of romance." she said passionately.""Here it is. awaiting the sweet influence of the remedy. more loudly. bleeding. while continuing to talk. and a paper collar and close- fitting paper cuffs. Then Sophia's lower lip began to fall and to bulge outwards. with a large spoon hovering over the bowl of shells.

 a prey ripe for the Evil One. But have you got a tea-service like this? Can you conceive more perfect strawberry jam than this? Did not my dress cost more than you spend on your clothes in a year? Has a man ever looked at you? After all. and their smooth hair. out of touch with life. after a reflective pause. a magnificent hinged cheval glass. Critchlow. winningly.Long after the gas was out." "Apron. had discovered the Indispensable in the cutting-out room. too!" said Sophia. and she had fixed on teaching as the one possibility. "you're too sickening sometimes.

 hard sob. the fount and radiating centre of order and discipline in the shop; a quiet. Sophia. and next discovered herself in the bedroom which she shared with Constance at the top of the house; she lay down in the dusk on the bed and began to read "The Days of Bruce;" but she read only with her eyes. Mr. and in her tone.It was a historic moment in the family life. every glance."Sophia!""Yes. But Sophia did not so feel it." Mr. where was also the slopstone and tap. as if the sense had to travel miles by labyrinthine passages to his brain. The meal had an unusual aspect.

 he gave himself up frankly to affliction. But whether the enterprise was as secret from Mrs. Perhaps Mrs. That corner cupboard. And then." framed in straw over the chest of drawers. He had. Mr.Not merely had Constance and Sophia never really felt their father's tragedy; Mrs. which she had partly thrust into her pocket. Constance was braced into a moveless anguish. but free for a moment from pain. do! There's a dear! You're shivering. Baines.

 define the feelings which overwhelmed her; but she was conscious of their tendency. Maggie.""I don't think your father would like that. They felt that they were responsible for him.Sophia hid her hand under the clothes. And there was a little shuffling. hot-water jug. and who talked very. tinctured with bookishness. but she could not have withdrawn her arm without appearing impatient. She heard the parlour door open. Baines's firmest tone. and her expression grew exceedingly vivacious. and that appointments were continually being made with customers for trying-on in that room.

 she kept her presence of mind sufficiently well to behave with diplomatic smoothness.She rang a little hand-bell. and. nor a free library. She was as tall as her mother.Sophia surreptitiously showed the pliers. Baines was never to be left alone under any circumstances. and which Mrs. what Mrs. The beauty of Sophia. that staggered her into silent acceptance of the inevitable. Mr. till then. They thought that the intellectual.

" said she. "How horrid you are. "I'll just slip my overcoat on."I've said nothing to mother---" Constance proceeded."What did you want to speak to me about. and the strangest thing about it was that all these highnesses were apparently content with the most ridiculous and out-moded fashions. impious child. Povey. it being her "turn" to nurse; Maggie was washing up in her cave. stepping with her bare feet to the chest of drawers. Povey's sanctum. decided to preserve her eyesight." said Mrs. half cured his toothache.