n. She clattered among pans, wrestled with her maid over
dishes and dusters, and kept her tongue incessantly going on household
details. With a laughable transparency she turned in a little to the lad
and said something about the weather. He sat down in a chair and gloomed
into the fire, Miss Mary watching his every sigh, but yet seemingly
intent upon her duties.

"Donacha Breck's widow was over before we were up to-day, for something
for her hoast," she said. "She had tried hyssop and pennyroyal masked in
two waters, but I gave her sal prunelle and told her to suck it till
the cough stopped. There's a great deal of trouble going about just now:
sometimes I think----" She stopped incontinent and proceeded to sweep
the floor, for she saw that Gilian was paying no attention to her. At
length he looked at her and then with meaning to Peggy bent over her
jaw-box.

"Peggy," said Miss Mary, "go over and tell the mantua-maker that she
did not put the leavings in the pocket of my jacket, and there must have
been a good deal."

Peggy dried her arms, tucked up the corner of her apron, and departed,
fully aware of the stratagem, but no way betraying the fact When she was
gone, Miss Mary faced him, disturbed and questioning.

"We had a quarrel in there," said he shortly, "I am not going to put up
with what they said about any friend of mine."

She had no need to ask who he spoke of. "Is it very much to you?" said
she, turning away and busy with her brush that she might be no spectator
of his confusion. A great fear sprang up in her; the boy who had grown
up a man for her in the space of a Sunday afternoon was capable of new
developments even more rapid and extraordinary.

"It should be very much to anybody," said he, "to anybody with the spark
of a gentleman, when the old and the soured and the jealous----"

"I'm thinking you are forgetting, Gilian," said she, facing him now with
a flush upon her face.

"What? what?" he asked, perplexed. "You think I should be grateful. I
cannot help it; you were the kind one and----"

"I was not thinking of that at all," she rejoined "I was just thinking
you had forgotten that I was their sister, and that I must be caring
much for them. If my brothers have said anything to vex you, and that
has been a too common thing--my sorrow!--in this house, you should be
minding their years, my dear. It is the only excuse I can offer, and I
am willing to make up for their shortcomings by every kindn