arper than ever, her thin lips
thinner, her grey eyes more cold and colourless. Cornelia looked from
them to the steel trimmings on her dress--really and truly, one looked
about as human as the other! The "lonesome" feeling gripped once more,
and her thoughts flew longingly to "Poppar," away at the other side of
two thousand miles of ocean.

"I feel kinder _left_!" was the expressive mental comment as the maid
swept away the crumbs, placed the two fruit dishes and the decanter of
port before her mistress, and noiselessly retired from the room. Miss
Briskett had been clearing her throat in ominous fashion for the last
ten minutes, and now that Mary's restraining presence was removed, she
wasted no further time in preliminaries. "I think it is time that we
came to an understanding, Cornelia," she began, in ice-cold accents.
"If you remain under my roof you must give me your word to indulge in no
more escapades like that of this afternoon! I gave my consent with much
reluctance; or, perhaps, it would be more correct to say that I was not
asked for my consent at all; and now you see what the consequences have
been!"

"I promise faithfully, Aunt Soph, that I'll never have a smash again, if
I can help it! I'm not a bit more set on them than you are yourself,
and I guess the mare was as innocent as a babe, so far's you're
concerned. She wasn't deliberately setting out to annoy you, as you
seem to imagine. I guess she needs more sympathy than blame!"

"Don't fence with words, Cornelia, please. I was not referring to the
horse, and I have no intention of allowing you to run any more risks. I
distinctly forbid you to take more carriage expeditions without a
competent driver. I am responsible for your safety, and your father
would blame me, if any harm happened to you while you are my guest. I
acted against my judgment in allowing you to go alone to-day, but I
shall not do so again. Do you clearly understand?"

Cornelia's golden eyes stared at her thoughtfully. An inherent sense of
justice made her conscious that her aunt had right on her side, though
she might have worded her decree in more conciliatory fashion. The
reference to her father also had a softening effect. Poppar'd go crazy
if he heard that his daughter had been in any sort of danger! ...

"Well--" she said slowly. "It's a `got-to,' I suppose! It would be
playing it pretty low down, to land you with the worry of nursing me,
and keeping Poppar qu