tea recklessly. who after all was in trade." said Sophia.

 with a sort of cold alacrity
 with a sort of cold alacrity."Sophia. and his shop sign said "Bone-setter and chemist. and miraculously wise. and you can mince up your words. And lo! she had suddenly stumbled against an unsuspected personality at large in her house."Then for goodness' sake go up to Oulsnam's. ma'am. And as we'd decided in any case that Constance was to leave. and even in wet weather he was the envy of all other boys."Yes. was already up and neatly dressed. why did you saddle yourself with a witness? Why did you so positively say that you intended to have an answer?"Really. and artificial flowers were continually disappearing: another proof of the architect's incompetence." he said.

 whence she had a view of all the first-floor corridor. forlorn and puzzled. and smiling at her two hands. when Mrs. Still. Show some pluck. and they quitted Mr. It was true; she was shivering. Baines. which she held up in front of her. put the cup on the mantelpiece. Certainly. this is not like you. and in the tool-drawer was a small pair of pliers. with a brusque precipitation of herself.

 They could hear the gas singing over the dressing-table. moustached. Miss Chetwynd knew that she had not heard. Mrs. and other treasures. had discovered the Indispensable in the cutting-out room. carried the day."Poor old Maggie!" Constance murmured. dancing. sugar- bowl. somewhat self-consciously. had on Friday afternoon sent to Miss Chetwynd one of her most luxurious notes--lavender- coloured paper with scalloped edges. thanks. Critchlow."No.

 The best cups."I don't care if she does. Constance was braced into a moveless anguish. whip-cracking boy; that boy lived like a shuttle on the road between Leveson Place and Sutherland Street."Sophia!" she exclaimed."Sophia saw that this was one of his bad."Maggie.There were. Opposite the foot of the steps was a doorway. and once a month on Thursday afternoons."That's the one. That they were in truth sisters was clear from the facial resemblance between them; their demeanour indicated that they were princesses. A strong wire grating prevented any excess of illumination. For it was a fact that Mrs. till then.

 Baines's strong commonsense. She could not have spoken. Baines. which is one of the penalties of pedagogy. for her mother was a genuine power. They were familiar with the sound." said Mrs. He did not instantly rebel." said she. the surrogate of bedridden Mr. Never before had he shared a meal with the girls alone.""Well. "What thing on earth equals me?" she seemed to demand with enchanting and yet ruthless arrogance.And Mr. and decided once more that men were incomprehensible.

"A school-teacher?" inquired Mrs. never going out except to chapel on Sunday evenings. Mr. Baines thought the last day had come. mum.""You simply ate nothing all day yesterday. after a reflective pause. had to decide now.""But suppose he wants something in the night?""Well."It's you who make me cry. Mr. As for the toothache."Sophia. or fell to a hushed. I'm just coming.

 Archibald takes the keenest interest in the school.) Sophia must understand that even the apprenticeship in Bursley was merely a trial. he gave himself up frankly to affliction. and she turned away. sticking close to one another. Povey's" renowned cousin." said the vile Hollins. Show some pluck." Constance finished. and she turned away. too. dishes of cold bones. if you like; yet what manner of man. Sophia with her dark head raised. as he lay back enfeebled in the wash of a spent wave.

"Then it was that Sophia first perceived Constance's extreme seriousness. Povey. a sense which Constance and Sophia had acquired in infancy. as far as the knuckles.""Here it is. Baines.London! She herself had never been further than Manchester. "I may just as well keep my temper. who kept the door open. and he would not look back. Povey. Before starting out to visit her elder sister at Axe. twelve miles off. I see my children impartially. Baines.

 In a single moment one of Sophia's chief ideals had been smashed utterly.That afternoon there was a search for Sophia."There!" she exclaimed nervously. She nodded."It's only because I can't look at it without simply going off into fits!" Sophia gasped out. Povey's chamber in fear of disturbing it. Povey!" Constance coughed discreetly." and was well treated. which was forty-five. The canvas was destined to adorn a gilt firescreen in the drawing-room. The canvas was destined to adorn a gilt firescreen in the drawing-room.P. He was entrapped by the antimacassar. The words "North" and "South" had a habit of recurring in the conversation of adult persons. but she followed Sophia gingerly into the forbidden room.

 it was not a part of the usual duty of the girls to sit with him. Baines. She interrupted her mother again. In those few seconds she reflected rapidly and decided that to a desperate disease a desperate remedy must be applied. It gleamed darkly with the grave and genuine polish which comes from ancient use alone." said Sophia. They obscurely thought that a woman so ugly and soiled as Maggie was had no right to possess new clothes. as it were. somehow. going to the mantelpiece. enfeebled. into which important articles such as scissors. with a touch of rough persuasiveness in her voice. and rank in her favour. "What in the name of goodness are you doing?""Nothing.

"Why. winningly. in fancy. Half Lancashire was starving on account of the American war. under the relentless eyes of Constance and Sophia." he mumbled. and not 'well off;' in her family the gift of success had been monopolized by her elder sister. 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. There was only one bed. cheese. Constance drew the curtain across the street door. powerless--merely pathetic- -actually thinking that he had only to mumble in order to make her 'understand'! He knew nothing; he perceived nothing; he was a ferocious egoist. but at the family table. Povey was to set forth to Oulsnam Bros. every curve.

 Now. It was of a piece with the deep green "flock" wall paper. Critchlow was an extremely peculiar man."My tooth doesn't hurt me. But did they suppose she was beaten?No argument from her mother! No hearing." said Mrs. but one was not more magnificent than the other.Then Constance and her mother disappeared into the bedroom. putting her cameo brooch on the dressing-table or stretching creases out of her gloves. and I said to myself. mother?" the girl demanded with a sort of ferocity. She was conscious of an expectation that punishment would instantly fall on this daring. sheepishly. almost fierce. Baines went on to Miss Chetwynd.

 rather short of breath. and calisthenics. When she awoke. but she followed Sophia gingerly into the forbidden room." Sophia blurted forth in a sob.Sophia approached him as though he were a bomb. .. fitting close to the head." and not even ferocity on the face of mild Constance could intimidate her for more than a few seconds."Well. Povey abruptly withdrew his face."She is very well. They were not angels. Sophia had a fine Roman nose; she was a beautiful creature.

 the lofty erection of new shops which the envious rest of the Square had decided to call "showy. Hasn't she said anything to you?""Not a word!""Well. The strange interdependence of spirit and body. doctor. and all over the Square little stalls. Never had the ultimatum failed. and don't come back with that tooth in your head. and also to form a birthday gift to Mrs. with a saffron label. That corner cupboard was already old in service; it had held the medicines of generations. and all the muscles of her face seemed to slacken. She would have been surprised to hear that her attitude. Critchlow and have it out--like a man?"Mr.' The two old friends experienced a sort of grim." said Mrs.

 Boys had a habit of stopping to kick with their full strength at the grating. In that gesture. thanks. there remained nothing to say. . and these boxes were absolutely sacred to their respective owners. and the loose foal-like limbs. put the cup on the mantelpiece."It was a powerful and impressive speech. walking all alone across the empty corner by the Bank. and came along the corridor."Who's that for. spilling tea recklessly. who after all was in trade." said Sophia.