hedral.--Laura could have
danced, as she walked at Marina's side.

After a few queries, however, as to how she liked school and how she
was getting on with her lessons, Marina fell to contemplating a strip
of paper that she held in her hand. Laura gathered that her companion
had combined the task of calling for her with a morning's shopping, and
that she had only worked half through her list of commissions before
arriving at the College. At the next corner they got on to the outside
car of a cable-tramway, and were carried into town. Here Marina entered
a co-operative grocery store, where she was going to give an order for
a quarter's supplies. She was her mother's housekeeper, and had an
incredible knowledge of groceries, as well as a severely practical
mind: she stuck her finger-nail into butter, tasted cheeses off the
blade of a knife, ran her hands through currants, nibbled biscuits,
discussed brands of burgundy and desiccated soups--Laura meanwhile
looking on, from a high, uncomfortable chair, with a somewhat hungry
envy. When everything, down to pepper and salt, had been remembered,
Marina filled in a cheque, and was just about to turn away when she
recollected an affair of some empty cases, which she wished to send
back. Another ten minutes' parley ensued; she had to see the manager,
and was closeted with him in his office, so that by the time they
emerged into the street again a full hour had gone by.

"Getting hungry?" she inquired of Laura.

"A little. But I can wait," answered Laura politely.

"That's right," said Marina, off whose own appetite the edge had no
doubt been taken by her various nibblings. "Now there's only the
chemist."

They rode to another street, entered a druggist's, and the same thing
on a smaller scale was repeated, except that here Marina did no
tasting, but for a stray gelatine or jujube. By the time the shop door
closed behind them, Laura could almost have eaten liquorice powder. It
was two o'clock, and she was faint with hunger.

"We'll be home in plenty of time," said Marina, consulting a neat
watch. "Dinner's not till three today, because of father."

Again a tramway jerked them forward. Some half mile from their
destination, Marina rose.

"We'll get out here. I have to call at the butcher's."

At a quarter to three, it was a very white-faced, exhausted little girl
that followed her companion into the house.

"Well, I guess you'll have a fine healthy appetite for dinner,"