autumn. She used often to
sigh, and say, with a wan little laugh, 'There is one thing I am glad
of, Margaret: your father knows now all about the little room.' I think
she was afraid I distrusted her. Of course, in a child's way, I thought
there was something queer about it, but I did not brood over it. I was
too young then, and took it as a part of her illness. But, Roger, do you
know, it really did affect me. I almost hate to go there after talking
about it; I somehow feel as if it might, you know, be a china-closet
again."

"That's an absurd idea."

"I know it; of course it can't be. I saw the room, and there isn't any
china-closet there, and no gilt-edged china in the house, either."

And then she whispered, "But, Roger, you may hold my hand as you do
now, if you will, when we go to look for the little room."

"And you won't mind Aunt Hannah's gray eyes?"

"I won't mind _anything_."

It was dusk when Mr. and Mrs. Grant went into the gate under the two old
Lombardy poplars and walked up the narrow path to the door, where they
were met by the two aunts.

Hannah gave Mrs. Grant a frigid but not unfriendly kiss; and Maria
seemed for a moment to tremble on the verge of an emotion, but she
glanced at Hannah, and then gave her greeting in exactly the same
repressed and non-committal way.

Supper was waiting for them. On the table was the _gilt-edged china_.
Mrs. Grant didn't notice it immediately, till she saw her husband
smiling at her over his teacup; then she felt fidgety, and couldn't eat.
She was nervous, and kept wondering what was behind her, whether it
would be a little room or a closet.

After supper she offered to help about the dishes, but, mercy! she might
as well have offered to help bring the seasons round; Maria and Hannah
couldn't be helped.

So she and her husband went to find the little room, or closet, or
whatever was to be there.

Aunt Maria followed them, carrying the lamp, which she set down, and
then went back to the dish-washing.

Margaret looked at her husband. He kissed her, for she seemed troubled;
and then, hand in hand, they opened the door. It opened into a
_china-closet_. The shelves were neatly draped with scalloped paper; on
them was the gilt-edged china, with the dishes missing that had been
used at the supper, and which at that moment were being carefully washed
and wiped by the two aunts.

Margaret's husband dropped her hand and looked at her. She was trembling
a littl