from the left, impartially.

Uncle James gazed at her. "I suppose that is an Irish custom," he said
at length.

"Bernadine! what are you doing?" Mrs. Caldwell snapped; and Bernadine,
startled, let both slices fall on the floor, and set up a howl with
her mouth full.

"Ah!" Uncle James murmured tenderly. "Little children are such darling
things! They make the sense of their presence felt the moment they
enter a house. It becomes visible also in the crumbs on the floor.
There is evidently nothing the matter with her lungs. But I should
have thought it would be dangerous to practise her voice like that
with the mouth full. Perhaps she would be more at her ease upstairs."
Mrs. Caldwell took the hint.

When the child had gone, Uncle James rang for a servant to sweep up
the cake and crumbs, and carefully stood over her, superintending.

"That will do," he said at length, "so far as the cake and crumbs are
concerned, but I beg you to observe that you have brushed the pile of
the carpet the wrong way."

Meanwhile Aunt Grace Mary had taken Beth up a polished staircase,
through a softly carpeted, airy corridor, at the end of which was a
large room with two great mahogany four-post beds, hung with brown
damask, the rest of the heavy old-fashioned furniture being to match.
All over the house there was a delicious odour of fresh air and
lavender, everything shone resplendent, and all was orderly to the
point of stiffness; nothing looked as if it had ever been used.

"This was your mamma's room when she was a girl," Aunt Grace Mary
confided to Beth. "She used to fill the house with her girl-friends,
and that was why she had such big beds. She used to be a very
high-spirited girl, your dear mamma was. You are all to sleep here."

"How good it smells," said Beth.

"Ah, that's the lavender. I often burn lavender. Would you like to see
me burn some lavender? Come to my room, then, and I'll show you. But
take your things off first."

Beth dragged off her hat and jacket and threw them aside. They
happened to fall on the floor.

"My dear child!" Aunt Grace Mary exclaimed, "look at your things!"

Beth looked at them, but nothing occurred to her; so she looked at her
aunt inquiringly.

"I always put mine away--at least I should, you know, if I hadn't a
maid," said Aunt Grace Mary.

"Oh, let your maid put mine away too," Beth answered casually.

"But, my dear child, you must learn," Aunt Grace Mary insisted,
picking up Beth