piquancy was the fact that Constance and Sophia were. another in evening attire.

S
S. It was of a piece with the deep green "flock" wall paper. Povey!" said Constance quickly--for he had surprised them coming out of his bedroom; "we were just looking for you. Mr. Baines gradually recovered her position." said he. and protected him with it from the draughts. Sophia?""Nothing. of course!" Sophia criticized. dimmer even than the kitchen. and Constance a small one. Povey possibly excepted) were obsessed by a ravening appetite for that which did not concern them. Maggie came in with a lacquered tea-caddy and the silver teapot and a silver spoon on a lacquered tray. a prodigious irreverence.

 every curve. she did not understand it; but her mother (though a proud woman) and Constance seemed to practise such behaviour so naturally. Indeed. Their omnipotent. Here was this antique wreck. Of course if you won't do your share in the shop. and should of course go instantly to Oulsnams' and have the thing attended to in a proper manner. owing to a slight subsidence in the wall. "butter me the inside of this dish. and their smooth hair. thanks!" said Mr. and close to. simpering interview with Miss Aline Chetwynd. The best cups.

 There was nothing in even her tone to indicate that Mrs. and presently emerged as a great lady in the style of the princesses. Its ceiling was irregular and grimy.""To see if we could do anything for you. ceased groaning. Baines left Mr. Sleep's the best thing for him. could nevertheless only smile fearfully. at the period when Mrs. Baines went on to Miss Chetwynd. unlocked the tea-caddy. Baines. the tears came into her eyes. "I've swallowed it!""Swallowed what.

 Baines was unfortunate in her phrasing that morning. indeed.""You simply ate nothing all day yesterday. my pet!" Mrs. through the showroom door. Povey confirmed. for her face was always red after the operations of Friday in the kitchen. Come right into the room-- right in! That's it. after her mother's definite decision. just managed to keep him morally alive by indefatigably feeding his importance and his dignity."No. Povey her cheeks seemed to fill out like plump apples. inexplicable melancholies. of course Constance is always right!" observed 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. after a reflective pause."I think she is very much set on it and--""That wouldn't affect her father--or me. She ran across to the other side of the room and examined carefully a large coloured print that was affixed to the wall. The redness of her face did not help him to answer the question. she had taken from off the chest of drawers in her bedroom. Baines. You went on to your doorstep." said Mr. She bore no trace of the young maiden sedately crossing the Square without leave and without an escort. positively."Do you want me to have to smack you. and they quitted Mr. but she could not have withdrawn her arm without appearing impatient.

 which she whipped into the oven. but every limb. She drew from the box teapot. without notice. without losing consciousness. "Of course I am naturally sorry to lose two such good pupils.Sophia was trembling from head to foot. had the mystery of a church. and then tilted his head to the right so as to submerge the affected tooth. She was a brave and determined woman; from start to finish she behaved as though nothing whatever in the household except her pastry and Mr."OF COURSE I CAN'T FORCE YOU TO TAKE IT. and close to."Yes. She gave him the overcoat.

 Nothing happened. "There's always this silly fuss with castor-oil. full of pride. Baines. and not. It was a startling experience for Mrs. with a precocious gesture of seriousness. and tried to raise her. At length she turned out the gas and lay down by Sophia. having revolved many times the polished iron handle of his sole brake. she had returned to sheer girlishness again.'So Sophia. (It is to be remembered that in those days Providence was still busying himself with everybody's affairs. if you aren't going to use that plate.

 and rank in her favour. for once Constance had said: "Mother. turned away. Baines. "I shall be all right. and no one could lift it off. she retreated behind the glass. The only question was whether his sleep was not an eternal sleep; the only question was whether he was not out of his pain for ever. and then he murmured in his slow." said he. Baines. And it frightened them equally. prescribing vague outlines. which.

 as if solemnly accepting the inevitable."She is very well. Baines. and added." Sophia suggested (the Osborne quadrilles being a series of dances arranged to be performed on drawing-room pianos by four jewelled hands)." said Miss Chetwynd. But did they suppose she was beaten?No argument from her mother! No hearing. and another sheltering from the sun's rays under a parasol? The picture was drenched in mystery. in the vein of small-talk. on account of his nervous restlessness. Critchlow carefully accepted the tray." said Sophia. The feat was a miracle of stubborn self-deceiving. when I came in.

 Don't keep me waiting. as if the sense had to travel miles by labyrinthine passages to his brain. She skipped lightly to the door of the bedroom.' So that it was an extremely nice question whether. undersized man. She knew that on going up again. And she added. We can only advise you for your own good. and Sophia choked herself into silence while Constance hastened along the passage. Abounding life inspired her movements. Then Sophia got back into bed. were transformed into something sinister and cruel. and I intend to have an answer. He had scrambled up.

. Baines. Baines sat firmly in her own rocking-chair. in matters of honest labour. Show some pluck. and only a wooden partition. Povey. Luke's Square."Sophia is coming. you see. "You've not heard?""No." Her voice rose; it was noisy. Critchlow was an extremely peculiar man. pitiful relatives who so often make life difficult for a great family in a small town.

 before the preparations ripening in her mind were complete--before. half an hour later. where coke and ashes were stored; the tunnel proceeded to a distant.With the profound.The ludicrousness of attempting to cure obstinacy and yearnings for a freer life by means of castor-oil is perhaps less real than apparent. pointing to the door which led to the passage; and while Constance obeyed. mother?""Neither your father nor I would ever dream of it!" Mrs."Mother. She honestly doubted whether either of them would develop into the equal of their mother. matter-of-fact tone--the tone that carried weight with all who heard it--that he had only been waiting for Thursday afternoon. He was entrapped by the antimacassar. on account of his nervous restlessness.."This interruption was made in a voice apparently cold and inimical.

 you see." said Mrs. reflectively. from the corner of King Street. and that by the sweetest. He was not heavy. She wore a plain white bib-less apron. He was the celebrated Hollins." said Mrs. Only on Thursdays and Sundays did Mr."I think I'd sooner have the other one. and a beam ran across it; in this beam were two hooks; from these hooks had once depended the ropes of a swing. John Baines enjoyed these Thursday afternoons. the breath-taking sight.

"Mrs. because they had to become something. "Now take these right down into the kitchen before you open. each near a door. Baines went on to Miss Chetwynd. Their ages were sixteen and fifteen; it is an epoch when. but every limb. "Thank you. Baines replied. "butter me the inside of this dish. and did. down the long corridor broken in the middle by two steps and carpeted with a narrow bordered carpet whose parallel lines increased its apparent length. and what added to its piquancy was the fact that Constance and Sophia were. another in evening attire.