ssor, and a few judicious
questions soon set the good lady's tongue prattling over past and
future. She said that as a girl she had always had a partiality for
blue merino, and had owned a Dunstable bonnet, trimmed with roses, which
was said to be particularly becoming. It was a pity that roses faded so
in the sun; ribbons were more economical wear. Did Mrs Connor buy her
fish wholesale from Whitby, or retail from a fishmonger? They did say
there was a great saving in the former way, only you got tired of cod,
if it were a very big fish...

The worst of a large house was having to keep so many servants! A
friend of hers, who was "reduced," said she had never known what comfort
meant till she came down to two. That James really took too much upon
himself! Talking of black-currant jelly--how beautiful the peaches were
on the south wall! Her cousin's little boy--Eddie, not Tom--fell over a
garden barrow the other day, and it might have been most serious, for
the shears were only a few yards away. Children were more trouble than
pleasure. Poor Mr Wolff always regretted having none, and she used to
remind him of the school bills, and the breakages, and the dirt in the
house...

Had Mollie ever knitted comforters for deep-sea fishermen? They said
their ears did get so cold. There was nothing like an onion boiled
really soft, and made into a poultice for ear-ache. Her cousin's little
boy--Tom, not Eddie--had it very badly. Dear, dear, to hear his
shrieks! They found onion much better than camphorated oil. When Mr
Farrell died, she supposed whoever came into possession would re-cover
the drawing-room furniture. It needed it, and you got lovely patterns
from London...

On and on the stream flowed, until Mollie felt dazed and bewildered.
Mrs Wolff evidently felt it such a treat to have a listener that she
was capable of continuing for hours at a time, and it was only the
sounding of the gong for lunch which brought an end to the monologue.

In its passing it had seemed a quiet, uneventful morning; no one guessed
what importance its coming and going would assume in the near future.

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.

AN UNPLEASANT INTERVIEW.

Mr Farrell kept to his determination to see none of his visitors until
he was able to come downstairs, but he sent a message by James, to the
effect that he would be annoyed if his indisposition were allowed to
interfere in any way with social engagements. Therefore, dinner-p