ed modestly with
window-sills. Then also there were subsidiary interests. Who brought
the Squire's flowers? Did Lady Cassandra drive down? Was the Vicar
tiresome about nails? Exactly what did everyone present say about
Teresa's scheme of colour? The good lady felt it hard that she should
have to wait until evening to satisfy her interest on these thrilling
points. She set her lips and said to herself, "Certainly not! If young
people have no consideration for others, they cannot expect to be
indulged. _Not_ fowl. Roast end of the neck."

At the side of the table Mary sighed, and stared dejectedly into space.
Eight years ago _she_ had been asked to "do" the east end, and the
curate had been by her side all day helping her, reaching to high
places, bending down, taking the vases from her hand. After all these
years she could still see before her every line of the smooth boyish
face. He had never loved her, he had gone away and married another
girl, but he had been admiring and attentive; several times in the
course of that day he had made her sit down to rest; at tea at the
Vicarage he had placed a cushion behind her back. In Mary's starved
life such small incidents took the place of romance. She looked across
the table at her sister, not so much with envy, as with pity. Poor
Trissie! she also was dreaming; she also must awake. And Teresa
understood the glance and set her red lips. She had not the least
intention in the world of following in Mary's footsteps. Thirty-two
should never find _her_ dragging along at home! She thought of Dane
Peignton with the warm glow at the heart which always accompanied the
thought. If Dane did not "care," her dearest hope would be blasted, but
it was characteristic of Teresa that she could put aside the
possibility, and be assured that even Dane himself could not spoil her
life, or reduce her to Mary's apathy of indifference.

After breakfast came "Worship," when the maids came in and sat on two
chairs placed as near as possible to the door, and the mistress of the
house read aloud a chapter in the Bible, followed by a long prayer from
a book entitled _Family Devotions_. The chapter this morning was taken
from Judges, and had little obvious bearing on the lives of the hearers.
It is doubtful if anyone attended after the first few verses. The cook
was listening for the tradesmen's bell. If it rang in the middle of
Worship it was understood that she was to rise softly