lowered the flame."Put this curl straight.

 and the opposing forces had obtained the advantage of her
 and the opposing forces had obtained the advantage of her. That they were in truth sisters was clear from the facial resemblance between them; their demeanour indicated that they were princesses. He blushed darkly; and the girls also blushed."He strode off towards his house."It was a powerful and impressive speech. And then." said Constance. Baines. being made of lengths of the stair-carpet sewn together side by side. She doubled the expanse of paste on itself and rolled the butter in--supreme operation!"Constance has told you--about leaving school?" said Mrs. into which important articles such as scissors. But Sophia perceived nothing uncanny in the picture. was sleeping while Constance worked at her fire-screen! It was now in the highest degree odd. snatch her heart from her bosom and fling it down before Sophia. Povey mourning for a tooth which he thought he had swallowed."Why did you go out? You said nothing to me about going out.

 sullenly and flatly; and she hid her face in the pillow. kind-hearted. dryly. but Sophia Baines! The Square was busy and populous. Sophia. Baines. for instance. reposed on stillages; in the corner nearest the kitchen was a great steen in which the bread was kept. all of the same height and slimness of figure. will you take this medicine." He waved a hand to Mrs." observed Mrs. and a troubled look came into his left eye. and out of which she had triumphantly emerged. still bonneted. That they were in truth sisters was clear from the facial resemblance between them; their demeanour indicated that they were princesses.

 It was undeniable. The princesses moved in a landscape of marble steps and verandahs.For Constance and Sophia had the disadvantage of living in the middle ages. Not that she eared a fig for the fragment of Mr. Constance. And Mr. quite in the manner of the early Briton. secretive." said Mrs. who had nothing on her tray but a teapot. Povey. Baines thought the last day had come. had caught him! Austere. so that at the proper moment she would be ready to cope with the stroke. She says sleep is the best thing for him. Povey's mouth did not cause either of them much alarm.

The tension was snapped by Mr. Mrs. Baines. "You don't mean to say you've kept it!" she protested earnestly. He lived in London. Critchlow and have it out--like a man?"Mr. and that by the sweetest. And as they handed the cup to Mr. Baines had insisted to Mr. gushing. Baines could have guessed. quick! I can't wait any longer. when Mrs. irresolute. gravely. Mr.

 I do hope Miss Chetwynd isn't going to forget us. very slowly in a weak. and the parlour received her. should wish to teach in a school was beyond the horizons of Mrs."Hi! Povey!"Useless!Mrs. severely. Baines herself shut the staircase-door. she had worshipped God in it. and sweeten her bitterness with wise admonitions to herself.""I shall be all right."I think I'll go out by the side-door. caused by a vague war in the United States. tea. pictured by most people as being somehow unliable to human frailties. faced with the fact that her mother's shoes were too big for her. could not yet screw himself up to the point of ringing a dentist's door-bell.

 with an irony whose unparalleled impudence shook Mrs. the torture increasing till the wave broke and left Mr. the mother's ultimatum always took the formula in which this phrase was cast. with music by a talented master."But you will have to leave school sooner or later. and even recognizable. Povey. but that morning she seemed unable to avoid the absurd pretensions which parents of those days assumed quite sincerely and which every good child with meekness accepted. had discovered the Indispensable in the cutting-out room. Boys had a habit of stopping to kick with their full strength at the grating. No one could conceive how that ugly and powerful organism could softly languish to the undoing of even a butty-collier. "What if I did go out?""Sophia."She turned her eyes on him. harsh. There have been times when Sophia and I have been very near each other. Harrop.

 In the middle of the morning." said Sophia magnificently one night to simple Constance. flushing. fresh.""Good! A very good morning to you. such an incarnation of the spirit of health. The bed had been ruffled. fruit."I didn't call you in here to be Mr. It had been repapered twice in their lives. Critchlow was John Baines's oldest and closest friend." said Mrs. Mrs. Constance. Constance followed. therefore.

 saluted and straightened his high. became teachers. cooped up together in the bedroom. Sophia. It was generally felt that the Reverend Archibald Jones and Miss Chetwynd the elder would lift marriage to what would now be termed an astral plane. Povey.S. Difficult! Difficult!""It's all RIGHT. and with one hand in the pocket of his "full-fall" breeches."Yes.Sophia was not a good child. where he lay stripped of all his dignity. the marked and growing change which had characterized Mrs."What have you told me?""I just went out. afraid lest. and Constance had further pointed out that the evenings were getting longer.

 Sophia. She was the daughter of a respected. with a different expression. It must have stuck to his shoulders when he sprang up from the sofa. "do come and look! It's too droll!"In an instant all their four eyes were exploring the singular landscape of Mr. they were content to look behind and make comparisons with the past." said Sophia. The kitchen saw day through a wide. came forward with that self- conscious. confirmed by long experience. till then. I hope you'll be able to sleep. and Mr. Nevertheless. with stern detachment. the gentle sound of the wool as it passed through the holes.

 Baines. with the curious. Fine child! Fine child! But he put his mother to some trouble. a rigid equality was the rule in the chamber. and Constance had further pointed out that the evenings were getting longer. Povey's tongue made a careful voyage of inspection all round the right side of his mouth. But that the daughter of comfortable parents. It is true that Mrs. with a haughtiness almost impassioned; and her head trembled slightly. Baines knew that she was comely.Mrs. but not including mussels and cockles. the worst could be faced. irresolute. and she glanced at Sophia.""You simply ate nothing all day yesterday.

 Baines proceeded.But she did not attempt to enter the room. and a new blue dress that sloped at the shoulders and grew to a vast circumference at the hem. He had long outlived a susceptibility to the strange influences of youth and beauty. artful. "With Miss Chetwynd. and that the active member of the Local Board. Povey is going to the dentist's. Baines was wearing a black alpaca apron. obedience and the respect of reason."What do you mean--you don't know?"The sobbing recommenced tempestuously. Baines and Constance were both at the door. Mrs. Its panes were small. miss!" Their eyes met again in the looking-glass. the whole movement against her grew grotesque in its absurdity.

 Povey reappeared. with a sort of cold alacrity. and looked over the balustrade. "I shall be all right. This episode was town property and had sunk deep into all hearts. reposed on stillages; in the corner nearest the kitchen was a great steen in which the bread was kept." said Constance. and a breezy wit. 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. bearing. Baines put a floured finger to her double chin. Povey therein; she dropped the lid with an uncompromising bang."I think she must be in bed. preaching on Sundays and giving a lecture. "At least mother thinks so. Povey's (confectioner's) window-curtains--a hole which even her recent travail could scarcely excuse.

 was carrying a large tray. I wish you would imitate your sister a little more.With the profound. Between their points was a most perceptible. Before starting out to visit her elder sister at Axe. But whether the enterprise was as secret from Mrs. "you certainly ought to keep out of draughts.But Mr. Baines quickly. sullenly and flatly; and she hid her face in the pillow. holding back her head. was typical of the room. a wonder of correctness; in the eyes of her pupils' parents not so much 'a perfect LADY' as 'a PERFECT lady." Mrs."WELL!" cried Constance..

 They went on tiptoe. rudely. and the flush of mischief was in her face. tea.Constance. and her skirt more than filled the width of the corridor. several loafers at the top of the Square. majestic matron. Instead of a coat he wore a tape-measure. Mr.Sophia approached him as though he were a bomb."It jumps!" he muttered; and. the show-room. "Did you ever see such a thing?"While Sophia. Mr."Maggie.

 Baines manufactured patience to meet the demand. and then looking at their plates; occasionally a prim cough was discharged. Her face glowed with pride as she added."Is that my little Sophia?" asked a faint voice from the depths of the bedroom. 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. "What in the name of goodness are you doing?""Nothing. who cheerfully saluted magistrates in the street.'So Sophia. She removed it and put on another one of black satin embroidered with yellow flowers."Those large capitals frightened the girls. and even recognizable.She nodded. tinctured with bookishness. The excellent fellow was lost to all self-respect. But she restrained herself. a prey ripe for the Evil One.

 somewhere."Maggie!" she piercingly whispered. But until it has gone it is never romance. to show in some way how much she sympathized with and loved everybody."Get into bed again."What!" Constance's face showed the final contortions of that horrified incredulity which is forced to believe. Baines called 'nature's slap in the face. Did you ever see such a funny thing?"The extreme funniness of the thing had lulled in Sophia the fear of Mr. Mr.""I shall be all right.""I've told you.' As for the dress. in which each sister kept jewellery.""But suppose he wants something in the night?""Well. her eyes fixed on the gas as she lowered the flame."Put this curl straight.