nts into the dining-room alcove.

"I can't imagine what has changed Julia so," sighed Mrs. Maybury. "She
used to be so bright and sweet and good-tempered. And now I really don't
know what sort of an answer I'm to have to anything I say. It keeps my
nerves stretched on the _qui vive_ all day. I am so disappointed. I am
sure the Doctor would be very unhappy if he knew how I felt."

But Mrs. Maybury had need to pity herself; Julia didn't pity her. "She's
been made a baby of so long," said Julia, "that now she really can't go
alone." And perhaps she was a little bitterer about it than she would
have been had Captain Cairnes ever made a baby of her in the least, at
any time.

They were sitting together one afternoon, a thunderstorm of unusual
severity having detained Mrs. Cairnes at home, and the conversation had
been more or less acrimonious, as often of late. Just before dusk there
came a great burst of sun, and the whole heavens were suffused with
splendor.

"O Julia! Come here, come quick, and see this sunset!" cried Mrs.
Maybury. But Julia did not come. "Oh! I can't bear to have you lose it,"
urged the philanthropic lover of nature again. "There! It's streaming up
the very zenith. I never saw such color--do come."

"Mercy, Sophia! You're always wanting people to leave what they're about
and see something! My lap's full of worsteds."

"Well," said Sophia. "It's for your own sake. I don't know that it will
do me any good. Only if one enjoys beautiful sights."

"Dear me! Well, there! Is that all? I don't see anything remarkable. The
idea of making one get up to see that!" And as she took her seat, up
jumped the great black and white cat to look out in his turn. Mrs.
Maybury would have been more than human if she had not said "Scat! scat!
scat!" and she did say it, shaking herself in horror.

It was the last straw. Mrs. Cairnes took her cat in her arms and moved
majestically out of the room, put on her rubbers, and went out to tea,
and did not come home till the light up stairs told her that Mrs.
Maybury had gone to her room.

Where was it all going to end? Mrs. Cairnes could not send Sophia away
after all the protestations she had made. Mrs. Maybury could never put
such a slight on Julia as to go away without more overt cause for
displeasure. It seemed as though they would have to fight it out in the
union.

But that night a glare lit the sky which quite outdid the sunset; the
fire-bells and clattering engines