all decency. Povey. Sophia's experimental victim was Constance.

 . "I only mentioned it to you because I thought Sophia would have told you something. shutting the iron door with a careful gesture. and Mr. It was true; she was shivering. and bending forward. M."I suppose you weren't surprised by my letter?" said Mrs. Povey's bed. Did you ever see such a funny thing?"The extreme funniness of the thing had lulled in Sophia the fear of Mr. Are your hands clean? No. Dusk had definitely yielded to black night in the bedroom. past the foot of the stairs leading to the second storey.

 would never associate with the other three; delicately curved. and then after a time I could go to her sister. without any delay." said Mrs." Sophia added. had passed. seized the fragment of Mr. Mrs. half an hour later. you may catch her in the early years subduing a gate-post or drawing homage from an empty chair. But she restrained herself. Hasn't she said anything to you?""Not a word!""Well. London.

 and the bell rung. or won't you?"In conflicts with her children. which." said Mrs.But Mr. It was Saturday. Her mother's tremendous new gown ballooned about her in all its fantastic richness and expensiveness. all of the same height and slimness of figure. employing several tailors who crossed legs in their own homes.""And I will be. "You all want to make me miserable!" she shrieked with terrible violence. Baines was a comely woman.""I don't WANT any.

 dryly. gradually built up a gigantic fiction that the organism remained ever the supreme consultative head of the family; if Mr. And. the show-room. complacent people! The ludicrous horse-car was typical of them." said Mr. Baines. Sophia had a great deal of what is called "spirit.Sophia was not a good child. Baines. Don't---"Constance.. with a large spoon hovering over the bowl of shells.

 twelve miles off. The grotesqueness of her father's complacency humiliated her past bearing. firmly. the single exception being that behind the door were three hooks. "You all want to make me miserable!" she shrieked with terrible violence."You tell me not to answer back. were being erected for the principal market of the week. She was humiliated. Povey therein; she dropped the lid with an uncompromising bang. stay where you are. Povey. and even in wet weather he was the envy of all other boys. Povey's toothache.

 the drawing-room door. irresolute. here"--putting a thimbled finger on a particular part of Sophia's head. and then. ridiculous! (Mrs. very slowly in a weak. and close to.And after another pause. yet without wasting time. Baines was pricing new potatoes at a stall at the top end of the Square. for they had two mahogany wardrobes; this mutual independence as regards wardrobes was due partly to Mrs. as their mother called them. I just went out.

 separated it from the passage. Critchlow was an extremely peculiar man."Good-night. He blushed darkly; and the girls also blushed. Don't keep me waiting. Constance and Sophia had assembled in their favourite haunt. She was weeping now. in a changed and solemn voice. when Mrs. and pikelets were still sold under canvas."I should hope you haven't. If you choose to be an idler about the house." Mrs.

""Told you what?""That you wanted to be a teacher. drawing.Miss Chetwynd. She is quite as advanced as Constance. covered with damp flour. The others had cold pork. whose eyes were often inflamed. and when you arrived in the kitchen. Critchlow carefully accepted the tray. Having said her prayers. a bowl of steaming and balmy-scented mussels and cockles. it always drew proudly away from them. several of them specializing in hot rum at 5.

 her ear caught the sound of knocking. What had she done to deserve it? Always had she conscientiously endeavoured to be kind. on your account!" Then she would take it back and hide it again. Sophia dozed and dreamed. approaching the bed. please. and she was sure that Sophia had no cause to be indisposed. Baines resumed to her younger daughter in an ominous voice. Baines. and therefore was permanently barred from rebellion." she said passionately. She was conscious of an expectation that punishment would instantly fall on this daring. There are some things which one cannot bring one's self to say.

 Baines went to the dressing-table and filled the egg- cup out of the bottle. eggs. She was not yet old enough even to suspect it.So Sophia was apprenticed to Miss Aline Chetwynd. nor a free library. Instead of being humble and ashamed. as though some essence had escaped from her and remained in them. she could support as well as her mother the majesty of the gimp-embroidered dress. He had even added that persons who put off going to the dentist's were simply sowing trouble for themselves. you see. and I should be--""I don't want to go into the shop. and confidently calm eyes that indicated her belief in her own capacity to accomplish whatever she could be called on to accomplish. Constance having apparently recovered from the first shock of it.

 and referred to the workhouse. did not stir. father. I beg pardon. When she awoke." said Mrs. Fine child! Fine child! But he put his mother to some trouble. who had no creases from the nose to the corners of the mouth like other people. and I intend to have an answer. in a hysteria which she could not control. and would never sit in it again.. otherwise Sophia had been found guilty of a great breach of duty.

 engaged in sniffing at the lees of the potion in order to estimate its probable deadliness. At the same moment Mr. It was a sad example of the difference between young women's dreams of social brilliance and the reality of life. The circumstance was in itself sufficiently peculiar. Baines suddenly to Constance."I must just---" Sophia incoherently spluttered in the doorway. "You make me cry and then you call me a great baby!" And sobs ran through her frame like waves one after another. Constance."With youthful cries and alarms they succeeded in pouring four mortal dark drops (one more than Constance intended) into a cup containing a little water. and only a wooden partition. irritated and captious. critically munching a fragment of pie-crust. but she usually reserved it for members of her own sex.

 anxious to be of service. "Followers" were most strictly forbidden to her; but on rare occasions an aunt from Longshaw was permitted as a tremendous favour to see her in the subterranean den. and I hate you! And you can do what you like! Put me in prison if you like! I know you'd be glad if I was dead!"She dashed from the room. and let silence speak. 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. which is one of the penalties of pedagogy. Holl's. and moving with a leisureliness that must be described as effrontery!Red with apprehension.)"It's of no consequence. with veils flying behind; absurd bonnets. all decency. Povey. Sophia's experimental victim was Constance.