ry and Nellie burnt the bread. As for Cousin Edith,
she was not a favourite with the Gascoynes, and the fact of her
presence would be hardly conducive to the invalid's recovery.

"I verily believe Bee would get up if she knew Cousin Edith were
poking about downstairs," thought Gwen. "I know I ought to stay--but I
can't, I can't! It means so much to pass that exam. It would be horrid
to stop at home, too, with Bee in bed directing everything. If she
were going away, and would leave me to it, I shouldn't mind. It's not
the work I'm dreading. But I know Bee only too well. She'll ring a
bell and have me up to her room every five minutes to ask how things
are getting on, and what I've done and what I haven't done, and she'll
worry, worry, worry, and scold, scold, scold the whole time. There'll
be no credit in my slaving, not the least. No, I don't think it can be
expected from me. It's too hard."

Gwen made the last remark aloud, and she repeated it again
emphatically, because she just happened to catch sight of the New Year
motto that hung over her dressing table.

"Oh do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. Do
not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers
equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no
miracle. But you shall be a miracle. Every day you shall
wonder at yourself, at the richness of life which has come
to you by the grace of God."

"I thought it meant school work," she said to herself. "But after all
I suppose it means home work as well, or any kind of work that comes
uppermost. I wonder if I could. Look here, Gwen Gascoyne, it's rather
a big sacrifice, but you've got to make it for once. With four
daughters, Dad has a right to expect somebody to keep the house
comfortable, and just at this critical moment you're the only one
available. It's hard, but it'll have to be. Your little ambition, my
dear, must take a back seat for the present, while you go and 'wash
dishes and feed the swine'. You'd better make the plunge and get it
over!"

Father and Winnie had adjourned to the garden, so Gwen hurried
downstairs before she repented her resolution.

"Dad! I believe I can manage, if Bee will let me try," she blurted
out, for Gwen generally did things abruptly.

Winnie drew a sigh of relief.

"I believe you could, too," she said hastily, "and I've been telling
Beatrice so. Miss Roscoe will think I'm playing her a very nasty trick
if I stop