Down, and she spun a hank of linen
yarn of such tenuity that it would have taken seven hundred such hanks
to make a pound of yarn."

He turned to Estelle.

"Sabina and the other spinners will appreciate this," he said, "but to
explain the marvel of such spider-like spinning, Estelle, I may tell you
that seventeen and a half pounds of Catherine's yarn would have sufficed
to stretch round the equator of the earth. No machine-spun yarn has ever
come within measurable distance of this astounding feat, and I have
never heard of any spinner in Europe or America equalling it; yet even
this has been beaten when we were painting our noses blue."

"Where?" asked Estelle breathlessly.

"In the land of all wonders: Egypt. Herodotus tells us of a linen
corselet, presented to the Lacedemonians by King Amasis, each thread of
which commanded admiration, for though very fine, each was twisted of
three hundred and sixty others! And if you decline to believe this--"

"Oh, Mister Churchouse, we quite believe it I'm sure, sir, if you say
so," interrupted Mrs. Chick.

"Well, a later authority, Sir Gardiner Wilkinson, tells us of equal
wonders. The linen which he unwound from Egyptian mummies has proved as
delicate as silk, and equal, if not superior, to our best cambrics. Five
hundred and forty threads went to the warp and a hundred and ten to the
weft; and I'm sure a modern weaver would wonder how they could produce
quills fine enough for weaving such yarn through."

"There's nothing new under the sun, seemingly," said old Mrs. Chick.

"Indeed there isn't, my dear, and so, perhaps, in the time to come, we
shall spin again as well as the Egyptians five or six thousand years
ago," declared Ernest.

"And even then the spiders will always beat us I expect," said Estelle.

"True--true, child; nor has man learned the secret, of the caterpillar's
silken spinning. Talking of caterpillars, you may, or may not, have
observed--"

It was at this point that Raymond, behind the speaker's back, beckoned
Sabina, and presently, as Mr. Churchouse began to expatiate on Nature's
spinning, she slipped away. The garden was large and held many winding
paths and secluded nooks. Thus the lovers were able to hide themselves
from other eyes and amuse themselves with their own conversation.

Sabina praised Estelle.

"She's a dear little lady and ever so clever, I'm sure."

"So she is, and yet she loses a lot. Though her father's such a great
sportsman