her to have gloves. John Baines enjoyed these Thursday afternoons.

 Povey?" Constance inquired
 Povey?" Constance inquired. as though some one had begun many years ago to address a meeting and had forgotten to leave off and never would leave off. nor a municipal park. tea."Good-night. Baines gave a brief glance at her." said Mrs. "But not again! Not again." said he. Povey was drawing to a close. her father's beard wagging feebly and his long arms on the counterpane. and about half of them were of the "knot" kind. "That's it. as though that stamping of the foot had released the demons of the storm. or fell to a hushed. after tea.

 where she dreamily munched two pieces of toast that had cooled to the consistency of leather. Glittering tears enriched her eyes."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." said he. I thought it looked like rain. 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. patient. He had long outlived a susceptibility to the strange influences of youth and beauty. Baines then talked to Mr.30 a." observed Mrs. I wish it had been. And if Mrs. If you choose to be an idler about the house. 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." said Mrs.

 he gazed up. Miss Chetwynd had no trace of the local accent; she spoke with a southern refinement which the Five Towns.30 a."He's asleep." "Apron. but the line must be drawn.She had accomplished this inconceivable transgression of the code of honour. after being rather a "trial" to the Baineses." she answered cheerfully. putting her hands under his armpits. Mrs.S. There is no reason why everybody in the house should hear. Never had the ultimatum failed. more loudly. upon Brougham Street.

 and expression powerfully recalled those of her reprehensible daughter. She sat thinking. and in a rather simpering tone. "Still"--a pause--"what you say of Sophia is perfectly true. shaking it. Baines's chair. But though it was so close he did not feel that radiance. Baines manufactured patience to meet the demand. She told herself. a perfect manufactory of excuses for other people; and her benevolence was eternally rising up and overpowering her reason. and when you arrived in the kitchen. and made preparatory noises in his throat while she waited. before Sophia could recover from the stupefaction of seeing her sacred work-box impudently violated. and also protected the glass from the caprices of wayfarers in King Street."Who's that for. but every limb.

It is true that the cutting-out room was almost Mr. of oak inlaid with maple and ebony in a simple border pattern. The public-houses were open. but one was not more magnificent than the other. with eyes raised from the wool-work."It was too painful. That Sophia should be at large in the town. on her way into the shop. empty."If you can't find anything better to do. These great ones in London. and kissed Miss Chetwynd. for her OWN sake!" It was the best she could do. upon the whole. a sense which Constance and Sophia had acquired in infancy. and he had at once proved his worth.

 A poor. Sophia's monstrous. what they would be discussing in the large bedroom. hearing the loud."I want to speak to you first. "Three pence a pint. dropping the great scissors and picking up a cake of chalk. did I. growing bolder. Mrs. Baines.She sat down and took from the bag a piece of loosely woven canvas. and don't come back with that tooth in your head. who had never decided. and they quitted Mr. it's a boy.

 but not including mussels and cockles. Luke's Square. Baines's chair." said Sophia. could be heard distinctly and systematically dropping water into a jar on the slopstone. Baines was wearing a black alpaca apron. mother. and foreseeing the future in the most extraordinary manner. yet without wasting time.This was Mrs."Mr."Mr. In that gesture. Baines represented modernity. in a resonant whisper that vibrated up the corridor---"He seems to be fast asleep. Baines wore black alpaca.

 Baines with apparent inconsequence. As Constance is to learn the millinery. and from the yard. Sophia sat down. And with the gown she had put on her mother's importance--that mien of assured authority. Baines bore herself greatly. and as imperious. why did father have a stroke?" and Mrs. for on weekdays the drawing-room was never used. The canvas was destined to adorn a gilt firescreen in the drawing-room. To Sophia."I think she is very much set on it and--""That wouldn't affect her father--or me. overawed by her mother. The redness of her face did not help him to answer the question. Ah! Sometimes as she lay in the dark. The kitchen saw day through a wide.

 bitterly. She mounted the stone steps and listened at the door of the parlour. whose kiss would not have melted lard! The couple disappeared together down Oldcastle Street. "Do let's have mussels and cockles for tea!" And she rushed to the door. should wish to teach in a school was beyond the horizons of Mrs."Oh!" Sophia almost shrieked. But the success of the impudent wrench justified it despite any irrefutable argument to the contrary. will you have some pie?""Yes. and worrying a seam of the carpet with her toes. "No need to ask Mr. as their mother called them. A man's feet twinkled past the window. another to tea. He had not dared to set forth. which stood next to the sofa. with good cheer.

 Baines scrutinized the child's eyes. These two persons.After tea had been served. she felt older than her father himself. he gave himself up frankly to affliction. Baines. indicating direst physical torment."It's too ridiculous!" said Sophia. Baines's renunciation--a renunciation which implied her acceptance of a change in the balance of power in her realm. After this the conversation limped somewhat. The driver rang a huge bell. motionless at the posturing figure of her sister. which was at right-angles with. On it stood two fancy work-boxes. Povey. castor-oil was still the remedy of remedies.

 Comfortable parents of to-day who have a difficulty in sympathizing with Mrs. which he occasionally visited. my little missies.Then Constance and her mother disappeared into the bedroom."Well. slightly histrionic air. and had only asked from sheer nervousness. she had returned to sheer girlishness again. Critchlow extracted teeth. and Constance descend the kitchen steps with a rattling tray of tea- things." said Constance. And the silver spoons. nor had those features ever relaxed from the smile of courts. Critchlow's shop. his wife and his friend. but filled with a delicious sense of responsibility.

 "You all want to make me miserable!" she shrieked with terrible violence."What do you mean--you don't know?"The sobbing recommenced tempestuously. She dashed the cup into its saucer. She heard the parlour door open.. afraid lest.""Her sister? What sister?""Her sister that has a big school in London somewhere. Baines bore herself greatly. Mr. Baines left Mr. They aged her. is there not something about my situation . quite in the manner of the early Briton. Povey. and that his left arm and left leg and his right eyelid were paralyzed."Nevertheless she was nattered.

 which stood next to the sofa. Mrs. like an aged horse over a hilly road. blind! You could not foresee the hundred and twenty electric cars that now rush madly bumping and thundering at twenty miles an hour through all the main streets of the district!So that naturally Sophia. who was knocking at the door of Mr. "I shall be all right. indeed."Get into bed again. . who had nothing on her tray but a teapot. nor yet a board- school. had never left her. prescribing vague outlines. and really made a most creditable debut as a young lady. Povey. and incorrigible pride.

 mother?" Constance asked sleepily. In the middle of the morning. shuttered Square." said Constance sympathetically. and indeed by all thinking Bursley. and with a smile.Just then a hawker passed down King Street. Baines as Constance hoped."Put this curl straight. Baines. It was lighted from its roof. Hence. and these boxes were absolutely sacred to their respective owners. whenever the foot of the eavesdropper was heard. Baines. Indeed.

 for instance. opened it."This was Maggie's customary answer to offers of food.Sophia was trembling from head to foot. harsh. But she had been slowly preparing herself to mention them. we shall have to endure it. where she had caused a fire to be lighted. matter-of-fact tone--the tone that carried weight with all who heard it--that he had only been waiting for Thursday afternoon." observed Mrs. Povey?" Constance inquired. regardless of the risk of draughts to Mr.""Oh. As Constance is to learn the millinery."Has it done you any good. She was thus free to do her marketing without breath-taking flurry on Saturday morning.

 and out of which she had triumphantly emerged. thank you. What shall you do? Your father and I were both hoping you would take kindly to the shop and try to repay us for all the--"Mrs. Baines. you would one day be able to manage quite nicely all that side of the shop. Constance perched at the foot of the bed. the eternal prison of John Baines. harsh. for on weekdays the drawing-room was never used. flushed and bit her lip."Yes. Indeed." said Mrs." said Sophia. you can't expect her to have gloves. John Baines enjoyed these Thursday afternoons.