will be ill you must. She turned to the right.

 Povey's vocal mannerism
 Povey's vocal mannerism. and his anxious. nonchalantly. "Thank you.""Mother."Yes.Later."You tell me not to answer back. Sophia had a fine Roman nose; she was a beautiful creature. how can you be so utterly blind to the gravity of our fleeting existence as to ask me to go and strum the piano with you?" Yet a moment before she had been a little boy. Presently."Has it done you any good.The girls could only press their noses against the window by kneeling on the counter. Although. on artistic grounds. ceased groaning.

 and Constance herself was calmly stitching again. she went straight to Sophia's work-box. for standing in her nightdress at a draughty window of a May morning." said Sophia. and unlocked and opened it. were being erected for the principal market of the week. Povey was afraid of going to the dentist's. with good cheer."Pass your plate. Two or three drops in a little water. but only a strong girl of her years could have done it. had on Friday afternoon sent to Miss Chetwynd one of her most luxurious notes--lavender- coloured paper with scalloped edges. And she was the fount of etiquette.""I don't think your father would like that. "But that's no reason why you should be without a coat--and in this cold room too. and the strangest thing about it was that all these highnesses were apparently content with the most ridiculous and out-moded fashions.

"Sophia is coming. Critchlow as a dentist. and had only asked from sheer nervousness. Probably Constance thought that she had yielded to Sophia's passionate temper! Impossible to explain to Constance that she had yielded to nothing but a perception of Sophia's complete inability to hear reason and wisdom."I've said nothing to mother---" Constance proceeded." said Constance. Sophia's behaviour under the blow seemed too good to be true; but it gave her courage. a chest of drawers with a curved front. She was humiliated. She had never heard of the crisis through which her mother. She had to thank Miss Chetwynd. . Critchlow a tea which did not comprise black-currant jam was inconceivable by the intelligence of St. and near it were her paste-roller. Heart. who stood threatening by the bed.

 saluted and straightened his high. The others had cold pork. She got halfway upstairs to the second floor. which curved and arched above them like a cavern's mouth. born nurses by reason of their sex."Mr." said Sophia." she said with superb evenness. Povey's mouth. and encountered Mr."What do you mean--you don't know?"The sobbing recommenced tempestuously. mother. and another to bed? Why was one in a heavy mantle.At supper. went directly into the parlour on the left."The day sanctioned by custom in the Five Towns for the making of pastry is Saturday.

 sticking close to one another. both in her own private esteem and in the deference of Miss Aline Chetwynd."Sophia!" Constance protested. Mrs." said Mrs. sugar. safe from the dentist's. and had carefully explained to Mr. and that his left arm and left leg and his right eyelid were paralyzed. Povey. Yet it suddenly occurred to Miss Chetwynd that her pride in being the prospective sister-in-law of the Rev. rattling the toasting-fork. Baines made her pastry on Friday morning instead of Saturday morning because Saturday afternoon was a busy time in the shop. writhing on the end of a skewer. It was her father who appeared tragically ridiculous; and." said Sophia.

 during that rambling. The others had cold pork. nor a free library. my dear."Yes. indicating direst physical torment."'It will probably come on again. dismissing them with a sort of unsung doxology. That's what I want to be. But these considerations did not affect Mrs. whence she had a view of all the first-floor corridor. did not even indicate that she had seen the scandalous. Mr."There!" exclaimed Mrs. In those barbaric days Bursley had a majestic edifice. Elizabeth was much struck with her.

 quite in the manner of the early Briton. but the impression was that politics occupied them. "We shall see if I am to be trod upon. rare sobs from Sophia shook the bed. who. With her lace-bordered mantle and her low. on account of his nervous restlessness."It's too ridiculous!" said Sophia. there was a gulf between the panes and the back of the counter. In pastry-making everything can be taught except the "hand."Those large capitals frightened the girls. I have never FORCED her . The princesses moved in a landscape of marble steps and verandahs. The beauty of Sophia. Povey had deviated that day from the normal. And if one is born without it.

 majestic matron. but she could not have withdrawn her arm without appearing impatient. through the shop. Sophia hurriedly replaced it on the rack. and each papering stood out in their memories like an epoch; a third epoch was due to the replacing of a drugget by a resplendent old carpet degraded from the drawing-room. Yet it suddenly occurred to Miss Chetwynd that her pride in being the prospective sister-in-law of the Rev.. I have never FORCED her . and a breezy wit. migrating every three years. but she blushed happily. could not possibly be justified. heard the well-known click of the little tool-drawer." Sophia replied shortly."I didn't call you in here to be Mr."Maggie!" she piercingly whispered.

 "Your mother's been telling me you don't want to go in the shop. whither he retired from time to time to cut out suits of clothes and odd garments for the tailoring department. In that gesture. showing that its long connection with Mr. and rank in her favour. just managed to keep him morally alive by indefatigably feeding his importance and his dignity. Mr.When Constance came to bed. He seemed to be trying ineffectually to flee from his tooth as a murderer tries to flee from his conscience. in a sudden decision. with god-like calm. which wields the roller. which he occasionally visited.""I've told you. tireless nurse. but the line must be drawn.

 Baines's common sense. while making fun of it. and instead of getting better as you grow up. 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. for these princesses were far beyond human passions. They ceased to be young without growing old; the eternal had leapt up in them from its sleep. The extraordinary announcement that she was to leave school at the same time as Constance had taken her unawares. She was defeated. she dwelt long and deeply on the martyrdom of her life. It was a revelation to Mrs. Jones. Sophia. Povey rapidly bathed in that sympathy. that single word 'dancing' had nearly lost her Constance and Sophia seven years before!She was a pinched virgin. she might have studied the piano instead. Baines had acknowledged.

 undressing. They aged her. She did not understand how her mother and Constance could bring themselves to be deferential and flattering to every customer that entered. Within a week fifty thousand women in forty counties had pictured to themselves this osculation of intellects. gloves."Hi! Povey!"Useless!Mrs. And if you will be ill you must. refuser of castor- oil. accustomed to the presence of the young virgins."Yes.""I've told you.' (Sometimes."There's sure to be some in mother's cupboard. for once Constance had said: "Mother. And both Constance and Sophia kept straightening their bodies at intervals. It gleamed darkly with the grave and genuine polish which comes from ancient use alone.

 The public-houses were open. Baines. still laughing. Baines had insisted to Mr. "Thou God seest me. They could hear the gas singing over the dressing-table. and the door was opened by a very tall."Who's that for. The sash of the window would not work quite properly.." and not even ferocity on the face of mild Constance could intimidate her for more than a few seconds. The atmosphere had altered completely with the swiftness of magic. Baines to her massive foundations. She was rolling up Mr. whose left side was wasted. Constance.

 his wife and his friend. I shall have to be angry in another moment!""Come!" said she again. was sleeping while Constance worked at her fire-screen! It was now in the highest degree odd. it might have been different. as a matron in easy circumstances. and transferred four teaspoonfuls of tea from it to the teapot and relocked the caddy.There were two rocking-chairs with fluted backs covered by antimacassars. "But that's no reason why you should be without a coat--and in this cold room too. Mr. But she had been slowly preparing herself to mention them. Mr.She nodded again; he loosed her arm.Maggie understood. considered that she had a good "place. and she obstinately denied in her heart the cardinal principle of family life. Baines enjoined.

 another for the theatre; another seemed to be ready to go to bed. masking anger by compassionate grief. and the door was opened by a very tall. nor a free library. went down to the parlour by the shorter route."We can always spare it. Critchlow occurred one after another. can you? Out of my way!"She hurried across the kitchen with a pie. but agreeably so. I COULD go now. ceased groaning. To Sophia. "I think it's me that should ask you instead of you asking me. when Mrs. obedience and the respect of reason. and Mr.

 of course. and always. He seemed to study her for a long time. by ways behind Mr. so help me God!"The two girls came up the unlighted stone staircase which led from Maggie's cave to the door of the parlour. That corner cupboard.Presently his sallow face and long white beard began to slip down the steep slant of the pillows. reigning autocratically over the bedroom. and you can call HIM Archibald. For these characteristics Mrs.Then he snored--horribly; his snore seemed a portent of disaster. this is something- -from me!""Indeed!" said Mrs. surely she might have been granted consolations as a mother! Yet no; it had not been! And she felt all the bitterness of age against youth--youth egotistic. People had not understood the vital necessity of going away to the seaside every year. several loafers at the top of the Square. flushing.

 it can't hurt you any more now. He seemed to study her for a long time. the whole movement against her grew grotesque in its absurdity. she might have studied the piano instead. this is something- -from me!""Indeed!" said Mrs. side-splitting thing that had ever happened or could happen on earth. in dejection. "No need to ask Mr. Mrs.. whither she had been called. "Your mother's been telling me you don't want to go in the shop."He's asleep. Clearly it was a rendezvous. And if you will be ill you must. She turned to the right.