gne, the thousand and one
little matters which scarcely come within the cognisance of the rich,
but tax so heavily the devotion of the poor, had all left their mark on
the score. That such items should figure in her domestic accounts,
seemed to Miss Joliffe so great a violation of the rules which govern
prudent housekeeping, that all the urgency of the situation was needed
to free her conscience from the guilt of extravagance--from that
_luxuria_ or wantonness, which leads the van among the seven deadly
sins.

Philpotts the butcher had half smiled, half sighed to see sweetbreads
entered in Miss Joliffe's book, and had, indeed, forgotten to keep
record of many a similar purchase; using that kindly, quiet charity
which the recipient is none the less aware of, and values the more from
its very unostentation. So, too, did Custance the grocer tremble in
executing champagne orders for the thin and wayworn old lady, and gave
her full measure pressed down and running over in teas and sugars, to
make up for the price which he was compelled to charge for such
refinements in the way of wine. Yet the total had mounted up in spite
of all forbearance, and Miss Joliffe was at this moment reminded of
its gravity by the gold-foil necks of three bottles of the
universally-appreciated Duc de Bentivoglio brand, which still projected
from a shelf above her head. Of Dr Ennefer's account she scarcely
dared even to think; and there was perhaps less need of her doing so,
for he never sent it in, knowing very well that she would pay it as she
could, and being quite prepared to remit it entirely if she could never
pay it at all.

She appreciated his consideration, and overlooked with rare tolerance a
peculiarly irritating breach of propriety of which he was constantly
guilty. This was nothing less than addressing medicines to her house as
if it were still an inn. Before Miss Joliffe moved into the Hand of
God, she had spent much of the little allowed her for repairs, in
covering up the name of the inn painted on the front. But after heavy
rains the great black letters stared perversely through their veil, and
the organist made small jokes about it being a difficult thing to thwart
the Hand of God. Silly and indecorous, Miss Joliffe termed such
witticisms, and had Bellevue House painted in gold upon the fanlight
over the door. But the Cullerne painter wrote Bellevue too small, and
had to fill up the space by writing House too large; and