Mabel, place chairs for these ladies," she said. "Miss Lambent
will perhaps excuse my rising. I am an invalid."

Rebecca bowed and glanced at her sister, who made her a sign to proceed.

"We have called, Mrs Thorne, knowing you to be in so sad a state of
affliction--"

"To offer a few words of condolence," said Mrs Thorne, interrupting
her. "It is very neighbourly and kind, I am sure I am sorry poor Hazel
is too unwell to be here to receive you as well."

"What insolence!" muttered Beatrice.

"Condolence is hardly the word," said Rebecca stiffly. "We are very
much grieved about Miss Thorne, especially as her illness has come
almost like a chastisement for her weakness in her discharge of her
scholastic trust."

"Oh! You are alluding to the school trifle she did not pay over to the
collector at the time," said Mrs Thorne haughtily. "It is a pity that
so much should have been made of so trivial a matter."

"Trivial, Mrs Thorne! Your daughter's conduct--"

"Has always been that of a lady, Miss Lambent. Ah! you single ladies
don't know, and of course never will know, the necessities of
housekeeping."

Beatrice winced.

"I used that money as I would small change, and I must say I am
surprised at Mr Lambent or his sisters, or the school committee, or
whoever it is, being so absurdly particular."

"Particular, Mrs Thorne!" cried Rebecca, aghast.

"Yes; it is very absurd. By-the-way, I may as well observe that I have
this morning received a letter from my late husband's solicitor, telling
me that fifteen hundred pounds, the result of some business arrangement
of his, are now lying at my disposal at the bank; and if you will send
the properly authorised person down I will give him a cheque."

"Mrs Thorne!" exclaimed Rebecca, whom this assumption of perfect
equality--at times even of superiority--galled terribly, "we came down
here to give you a little good advice--to say a few words of sympathy,
and to bring you two or three books to read, and ponder over their
contents. I am surprised and grieved that you should have taken such a
tone."

"I beg your pardon, Miss Lambent," retorted Mrs Thorne, who was very
pale and much excited; "allow me to tell you that you are making a
mistake. I am not in the habit of receiving parochial visits. They may
be very acceptable to the poor of your district, but, as a lady, when
another lady calls upon me, I look upon it as a visit of ceremony. You
will excuse me, b