don, close to you, you goose."

"Antonia!" interrupted Mrs. Bernard Temple.

"Mother, she is a goose not to remember that Squire Lorrimer is in town.
You ought to write to him, Nora, and ask him to come to see you."

"If he's in London I don't know his address," answered Nora.

"You can write to his club--the Carlton. Here, I'll find you paper and
pen, or, if you are too tired to write after the doctor's examination,
you can dictate a letter to me. Here, what do you want to say? I'm not a
good hand at letter-writing, but you must know the sort of thing. You
had better ask him to dinner to-night; there's not an hour to be lost."

"You forget that we are going to the theatre to-night," said Mrs.
Bernard Temple.

"Oh, what does that matter. Nora can't go, with her weak back."

"Yes she can. I have taken a box, and she shall have my air-cushion to
lean against."

"And I want to go to a theatre awfully," said Nora.

"Well, well, so much for filial affection. Ask him to come to lunch
to-morrow. Write any way--show that you're a daughter, a loving
daughter."

"Of course I'm a loving daughter, but I----"

"For goodness sake don't have any more buts. Write or dictate, whichever
you please."

"I'll write if I must, but really--I don't suppose father will care to
come."

"Doesn't he care for you, then?"

"Care for me? What a thing to say. Of course he cares for me."

"Then he'll come. Now, I give you five minutes. Write the letter, and
I'll take it out and post it."

Nora muttered and grumbled, but Antonia's perfectly motionless figure,
as she sat in an easy chair facing her, was too much to be resisted. She
took up a pen, dipped it in ink, and began to write.

"Do it lovingly," said Antonia; "put heart into it; show that you're a
daughter."

Mrs. Bernard Temple motioned Annie to come and sit near her.

"Really," she said in a whisper, "poor Antonia becomes more peculiar and
trying each day. She simply bullies us all. Look at that poor dear
little Nora, submitting to her caprice as gently as a lamb. I don't know
why she wants Squire Lorrimer to come here. I am not acquainted with
him, and it will be really painful for me to see him in his present
afflicted condition. I am a very cheerful person by nature, and hate
depressing circumstances."

"I am sorry you are not sympathetic," answered Annie.

Mrs. Bernard Temple raised her brows.

"Sympathetic," she exclaimed; "my dear, I'm the soul--the very soul of