olly--tall and spare, with bushy brows, beneath the deep arcade of which
glowed two limpid gray eyes. These eyes, during Dolly's little
performance, remained somehow outside of the enveloping flutter. They
peered over Dolly's shoulder in an alert examination of the disorder
evident within the flat, and in their serene depths a slight
will-o'-the-wisp seemed discreetly dancing. When finally Dolly's outburst
had moderated, the old lady spoke. "Where is the bath-room?" she said.

Dolly dropped her convulsive hold and drew back a step. "The bath-room!"
she exclaimed, her eyes very big; "you want to know where the bath-room
is!"

"Yes, the bath," repeated Auntie, as though astonished at the
astonishment.

Dolly showed it to her. A calmness had come over her, a calmness of
indignation. Auntie gave the bottom of the tub a hurried cleaning,
adjusted the faucet to a tepid flow, dropped in the stopper, and sat down
on the edge of the porcelain as the water rose within. "I'm going to give
you a bath," she announced to Dolly, who stood there petrified with hurt
amazement.

And when the tub was full, she rose lightly to her feet and began to take
off Dolly's soiled kimono. Dolly, in a daze, felt the garment slip from
her, and then slid into the warm, green pool, which closed softly about
her neck. "You lie there a while," said Auntie; "I'll come back and give
you a shampoo."

And Dolly remained alone in the steaming room. Little by little, to the
persistent caress of the warm water, she felt her body relax; she shut
her eyes; from beneath the closed lids tears exuded softly; they came
freely, without a pang. After a while, even these ceased. From the
bedroom came the sound of a bed being rolled, a flapping of sheets, a
whirring of blinds. Auntie returned. "Now," she said alacriously.

Dolly's head was being rubbed; a snow-white bubbly mountain was rising
upon it, a mountain like an island--that is to say, like that confection
known as a floating island; she could feel on her scalp the wise,
soothing fingers of her aunt breaking down the resistance of her nerves;
her eyes, shut at first merely to keep out the soap, remained closed in
semi-ecstasy.

"Now, out you go!" suddenly boomed a voice, as a patter of water
descended upon her head; and Dolly stepped out into the vigorous embrace
of a turkish towel. It was passing over her body with a firm, rotary
motion as of machinery; she swayed within it like a palm in a tempest. It