ng-gown near the open window.

"Really, Maggie," she said when her daughter entered, "your ways
frighten me most terribly! I do wish poor Mr. Martin would insist on
your coming to live with us. I shall never have an easy moment with
your queer pranks and goings-on."

"I am sure you won't, dear mother," said Maggie. "But come, don't be
cross with me. Here's Matilda; she'll clear away the breakfast-things
in no time, and then I have something I want to say to you."

"Oh dear! my head is so weak this morning," said Mrs. Howland.

"If I were you, Miss Maggie," said Tildy as she swept the cups and
saucers with noisy vehemence on to a tray, "I wouldn't worrit the poor
mistress, and she just on the eve of a matrimonial venture. It's
tryin' to the nerves, it is; so Mrs. Ross tells me. Says she, 'When I
married Tom,' says she, 'I was on the twitter for a good month.' It's
awful to think as your poor ma's so near the brink--for that's 'ow
Mrs. Ross speaks o' matrimony."

"Please be quick, Tildy, and go," said Maggie in a determined voice.

Matilda cleared the table, but before she would take her departure she
required definite instructions with regard to dinner, tea, and
supper.

Mrs. Howland raised a distracted face. "Really, I can't think," she
said, "my head is so weak."

"Well, mum," said Matilda, "s'pose as missus and me does the
'ousekeepin' for you to-day. You ain't fit, mum; it's but to look at
you to know that. It's lyin' down you ought to be, with haromatic
vinegar on your 'ead."

"You're quite right, Matilda. Well, you see to the things to-day. Have
them choice, but not too choice; fairly expensive, but not too
expensive, you understand."

"Yus, 'um," said Tildy, and left the room.

Maggie found herself alone with her mother. "Mother," she said
eagerly, "now I will tell you why I was not home for breakfast this
morning."

"Oh, it doesn't matter, Maggie," said Mrs. Howland; "I am too weak to
be worried, and that's a fact."

"It won't worry you, mother. I breakfasted with Mr. Martin."

"What--what!" said Mrs. Howland, astonishment in her voice, and with
eyebrows raised almost to meet her hair.

"And an excellent breakfast we had," said Maggie. "He isn't a bad sort
at all, mother."

"Well, I am glad you've found that out. Do you suppose your mother
would marry a man who was not most estimable in character?"

"He is quite estimable, mother; the only unfortunate thing against him
is that he is not in