away. She'd never forgive me. You're strong, Gwen, and you
know all about the hens and the pigs, and you can keep an eye on
Nellie."

"Yes, try, childie. It will be a good practice for you--and there's
nobody else," agreed Father.

Thus it came about that Gwen entered upon an entirely new experience.
She had, of course, helped in the house before, but only under
Beatrice's personal supervision; it was quite a different matter to
have to take the responsibility of the whole establishment.

"Bother your sister as little as you can, I want her to have a
complete rest," said Dr. Chambers. "You mustn't let her worry about
what's going on downstairs."

It was easy enough for the doctor to give orders, thought Gwen, but a
difficult matter to carry them out. She was determined, however, to do
her best, and she made a most heroic effort to be patient with the
invalid. The fact was that poor Beatrice, who never spared herself,
was overworked, and the hot, damp weather had affected her nerves. Dr.
Chambers knew his patient when he prescribed a fortnight in bed, and
was well aware that it was the only way of persuading her to take the
rest she needed. At first Gwen's anticipations of a trying time were
literally fulfilled. Beatrice's bell was ringing constantly, and she
had to keep running up and down stairs and listening to endless and
minute directions, and to answer a perfect catechism of questions as
to how affairs were progressing in the kitchen. Nellie also was in a
grumpy mood, and difficult to conciliate. She did not like having
instructions sent to her through Gwen, and showed her resentment by
clattering about the kitchen and banging doors. It required more tact
than Gwen had ever made use of in her life before to keep the peace.
Then Martin was no slight anxiety, for the little scamp thought he
could take advantage of Beatrice's absence to get into as much
mischief as a magpie, and Gwen hardly dared trust him five minutes out
of her sight. Between Martin, household tasks, and certain parish
duties which could not be omitted, there was plenty to be done, and
the days seemed full from morning till night.

Gwen had never before realized how very much lay in Beatrice's hands,
and she began slowly to appreciate how heavy a burden her sister
carried year in and year out, with scarcely ever a holiday to relieve
the tension.

"It's far worse than any amount of lessons," she thought. "Going back
to school will be quite a