elves, much less him who died long
ago.' You cannot do better than ask your husband to buy you a copy
of this book, and give it special study. It will comfort you in
affliction, and reconcile you to whatever may happen to you. Listen:
'Soon will the earth cover us all; then the earth, too, will change,
and the things also which result from change will continue to change
for ever, and these again for ever. For if a man reflects on the
changes and transformations which follow one another like wave
after wave, and their rapidity, he will despise everything which is
perishable.' Do you understand that?"

"Yes," said Sheila, and it seemed to her that she was being
suffocated. Would not the gray walls burst asunder and show her one
glimpse of the blue sky before she sank into unconsciousness? The
monotonous tones of this old woman's voice sounded like the repetition
of a psalm over a coffin. It was as if she was already shut out
from life, and could only hear in a vague way the dismal words being
chanted over her by the people in the other world. She rose, steadied
herself for a moment by placing her hand on the back of the chair, and
managed to say, "Mrs. Lavender, forgive me for one moment: I wish to
speak to my husband." She went to the door--Mrs. Lavender being too
surprised to follow her--and made her way down stairs. She had seen
the conservatory at the end of a certain passage. She reached it, and
then she scarcely knew any more, except that her husband caught her
in his arms as she cried, "Oh, Frank, Frank, take me away from this
house! I am afraid: it terrifies me!"

"Sheila, what on earth is the matter? Here, come out into the fresh
air. By Jove, how pale you are! Will you have some water?"

He could not get to understand thoroughly what had occurred. What he
clearly did learn from Sheila's disjointed and timid explanations was
that there had been another "scene," and he knew that of all things
in the world his aunt hated "scenes" the worst. As soon as he saw that
there was little the matter with Sheila beyond considerable mental
perturbation, he could not help addressing some little remonstrance to
her, and reminding her how necessary it was that she should not offend
the old lady up stairs.

"You should not be so excitable, Sheila," he said. "You take such
exaggerated notions about things. I am sure my aunt meant nothing
unkind. And what did you say when you came away?"

"I said I wanted to see you. Are you