ung
when she was married?"

"Quite young, I understand--about nineteen."

"Only nineteen--not very much older than I am. And she stood two years
of Grandma and this house!"

"Barribel, you forget yourself."

"If I do, it's because I'm thinking about my mother. Twenty--twenty-one;
that's what she was when she--went away!"

"She must have been. Of course, it is not my place to----"

"No, dear Heppie, I know it isn't, so don't, please. Could even you
blame her for wanting to run away from this awful house, and she an
Irish girl?"

"She was half American, I have heard."

"Perhaps, for all I know about Americans, that made it even harder for
her to stand Grandma--and everything else. Anyhow, _I_ don't blame
her--not one bit."

"What! not for deserting her loving husband and her helpless child?"

"All day I've been wondering if father knew how to show his love for
her. He didn't to me. I can remember that. I used to be afraid of him
and glad to escape. Perhaps he made _her_ feel like that too--oh,
without meaning it. I'm sure he was good. But so is Grandma
good--horribly good. There's something about this house that spoils
goodness, and turns it to a kind of poison. It must have been awfully
depressing to be married to father if one had any _fun_ in one, and
loved to laugh. As for the 'helpless child,' I dare say I was a horrid
little squalling brat with scarlet hair and a crimson face and a vile
temper, that no one could possibly love."

"It is a mother's duty to love her child, in spite of its appearance;
and if it has a bad temper, all the more should she endeavour by prayer
and example to eradicate its faults in bringing it up. At least, so I
have always been taught. Personally, of course," Heppie hastened to add,
"I know nothing of motherhood and its duties."

"Then you never played dolls," said Barrie gravely. "I never had but one
doll--the porcelain-headed darling father gave me. Grandma let me keep
it because it came from him, and I did love it dearly! I do still. I
learned just how to be a mother, playing with it. I know I shall be a
perfectly sweet mother when I have a child."

"Barribel, you should not say such things. It is most unmaidenly."

"I don't see why," Barrie argued. "Perhaps my mother's people wouldn't
let her say such things when she was a young girl, and then she began to
be an actress, and was so busy she never had time to learn much about
children and duty and that sort of thing. Bu