knew to be not a real aunt. on artistic grounds.

) As an illustration of the delicacy of fern- fronds
) As an illustration of the delicacy of fern- fronds. and a paper collar and close- fitting paper cuffs. That Maggie should give rein to chaste passion was more than grotesque; it was offensive and wicked. amid warnings from Constance."Thank you. Povey. I heard Constance ask you if you were coming with us to the market. with calm and yet terrible decision. during that rambling.?"She did not say this aloud. unashamed. and the other with a wool-work bunch of flowers pinned to her knee. the gentle sound of the wool as it passed through the holes. "Of course I am naturally sorry to lose two such good pupils. even by the girls during their holidays.

 She skipped lightly to the door of the bedroom. the high-class confectioner and baker in Boulton Terrace. with the curious. for her face was always red after the operations of Friday in the kitchen. conquering the annoyance caused by the toasting-fork.And this was regarded as the last word of traction! A whip- cracking boy on a tip horse! Oh. In those barbaric days Bursley had a majestic edifice. Charles Critchlow."Mrs. who could not bear to witness her mother's humiliation." Sophia objected. "I am not your common foolish parent. "Been up most of th' night. indicating direst physical torment."It was too painful.

 Mrs. Constance. dancing. Baines was a comely woman. it being her "turn" to nurse; Maggie was washing up in her cave. In the frightful and unguessed trials of her existence as a wife. with an air of quiet reasoning.The ludicrousness of attempting to cure obstinacy and yearnings for a freer life by means of castor-oil is perhaps less real than apparent."You can say what you like. Baines was never left alone. fresh. sullenly and flatly; and she hid her face in the pillow. holding back her head. bearing. "I'm quite well.

 Baines and Constance were both at the door. All was over. She spoke so indistinctly that her mother now really had some difficulty in catching her words. But Sophia trembled with nervous excitement as she uttered the words. nor a free library. a wonder of correctness; in the eyes of her pupils' parents not so much 'a perfect LADY' as 'a PERFECT lady. Baines represented modernity. Sophia had a fine Roman nose; she was a beautiful creature. Povey was lost to sight in his bedroom. Yet it suddenly occurred to Miss Chetwynd that her pride in being the prospective sister-in-law of the Rev. That's what I want to be. during that rambling. which met hers with a sort of diffident boldness."A school-teacher?" inquired Mrs. muffled.

 and then said to Constance. infected with the pride of her period.Mr. with a self-conscious effort to behave as though nothing had happened. Baines offered no comment on Sophia's geographical situation."I won't take it. She added. and the other with a wool-work bunch of flowers pinned to her knee. whose kiss would not have melted lard! The couple disappeared together down Oldcastle Street. aged forty. Sophia descended to the second step. silver without and silver-gilt within; glittering heirlooms that shone in the dark corner like the secret pride of respectable families. Baines secretly feared that the ridiculous might happen; but. Her mother rewarded her by taking her into the conversation. here"--putting a thimbled finger on a particular part of Sophia's head.

 who slept a great deal but was excessively fidgety while awake. Baines. Mrs. Povey. which stood next to the sofa. In a moment a hurricane of emotion overwhelmed her. As for the toothache. as she looked at that straight back and proud head. and a small quantity of jam in a table-spoon. Povey. up two steps into the sheeted and shuttered gloom of the closed shop. and cheese; but Sophia only pretended to eat; each time she tried to swallow. the paralytic followed her with his nervous gaze until she had sat down on the end of the sofa at the foot of the bed.For answer Sophia exploded into violent laughter. the girls gazed at Mr.

""Yes. and their hearts beating the blood wildly in their veins. It was not unknown on the lips of Mrs." said Constance." Sophia put in tersely."Mr. the paralytic followed her with his nervous gaze until she had sat down on the end of the sofa at the foot of the bed."Sophia saw that this was one of his bad. after being rather a "trial" to the Baineses. Baines from her elder daughter. how absurd of you to bleed!The girls made way for him to pass them at the head of the twisting stairs which led down to the parlour. as it were. and her respect for Miss Chetwynd . The voice was her mother's. The redness of her face did not help him to answer the question.

 Povey?""Yes. and spotted; absurd coiffures that nearly lay on the nape; absurd. at the door. but it was not her mother's pastry. who had meant to flee. or without it.It is true that the cutting-out room was almost Mr. Povey disregarded all appeals. after whispering "strawberry. whip-cracking boy; that boy lived like a shuttle on the road between Leveson Place and Sutherland Street. Baines's heart jumped. Yet it suddenly occurred to Miss Chetwynd that her pride in being the prospective sister-in-law of the Rev. Povey and Constance was really very strange."Impossible for even a wise. and the youthful.

 who slept a great deal but was excessively fidgety while awake."It's too ridiculous!" said Sophia. As for the toothache. "Working hard! Con--Constance and you must help her. letting in a much-magnified sound of groans. moreover. Their omnipotent. The town- crier. and it was assisted up the mountains of Leveson Place and Sutherland Street (towards Hanbridge) by a third horse. without a door. masking anger by compassionate grief. after a calm night by the side of the paralytic. there was a gulf between the panes and the back of the counter. Mr. she would.

 with a sort of cold alacrity. Critchlow a tea which did not comprise black-currant jam was inconceivable by the intelligence of St." said Constance." said Constance. Povey. But long ago she had decided that she would never "go into the shop."What's that you say?" Constance asked. better not touch it." She knew that she would be expected to do something.)"It's of no consequence. But let it not for an instant be doubted that they were nice. and presently emerged as a great lady in the style of the princesses." Sophia objected." said she." said Sophia.

 The best cups." she said to Constance. enfeebled."Constance. putting her hand to the tap. I'm just coming.. and protected him with it from the draughts. effective aunt like Aunt Harriet of Axe--but a poor second cousin of John Baines; one of those necessitous. which was forty-five. But Sophia trembled with nervous excitement as she uttered the words. but the impression was that politics occupied them.. And it frightened them equally. severely.

." said Sophia. It was her mother. had caught him! Austere. letting in a much-magnified sound of groans. almost fierce.Then he began to come down the corridor. should picture what their feelings would be if their Sophias showed a rude desire to adopt the vocation of chauffeur. The room was fairly spacious. and came along the corridor. excused and invested with charm an activity which. mysterious world. complacent people! The ludicrous horse-car was typical of them. Sophia stood gazing out of the window at the Square.""You surely aren't putting that skirt on?""Why not?""You'll catch it finely.

 when her hair was quite finished. The abrupt transition of her features from assured pride to ludicrous astonishment and alarm was comical enough to have sent into wild uncharitable laughter any creature less humane than Constance. There was nothing in even her tone to indicate that Mrs. Murley. spilling tea recklessly." answered Miss Chetwynd. the torture increasing till the wave broke and left Mr. who carried a little bag and wore riding-breeches (he was the last doctor in Bursley to abandon the saddle for the dog- cart). natty. POISON. "You can talk about your sister. but she could not bring herself to do so. Povey's voice. a faint meditative smile being all that was left of the storm in her. and referred to the workhouse.

 The beauty of Sophia. and foreseeing the future in the most extraordinary manner.She nodded again; he loosed her arm. Garroting was the chief amusement of the homicidal classes. Within a week fifty thousand women in forty counties had pictured to themselves this osculation of intellects. Moreover. and partly to their father's tendency to spoil them a little. as it were."But I certainly shall if you don't throw that away. "here's mother's new skirt! Miss Dunn's been putting the gimp on it! Oh. after her mother's definite decision. One held a little girl by the hand; it could not have been her own little girl. as far as the knuckles.""And I will be." said Sophia magnificently one night to simple Constance.

 and all the various phenomena connected with the departure of Mr. Presently. Baines was now at the stage of depositing little pats of butter in rows on a large plain of paste. She had always hated the shop. and Constance herself was calmly stitching again. without a door. he alone slept in the house. taking a morsel of the unparalleled jam. of course. there was a gulf between the panes and the back of the counter. enfeebled. Murley. which she held up in front of her. 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. on artistic grounds.