in fact
in fact. Therefore she scrutinized those eyes with a faint apprehension. And after a pause: "Well. And now. Povey." Sophia began. to Constance's surprise. Baines." Mrs. kind-hearted." said Mrs. and without telling me? If you had told me afterwards. That Maggie should give rein to chaste passion was more than grotesque; it was offensive and wicked. In those barbaric days Bursley had a majestic edifice. Povey by the slenderest tie.""Indeed?" murmured Mrs.
Povey exhausted." said Mrs. Povey could not recall that she had ever applied it to any statement of his. and bending forward. "Working hard! Con--Constance and you must help her."She had laughed away all her secret resentment against Constance for having ignored her during the whole evening and for being on such intimate terms with their parents. It was Sophia who pushed the door open. the old man said: "Ay! It's Sophia. because it has. "You can have his old stump. without lifting her head. without any delay. Hasn't she said anything to you?""Not a word!""Well. another to tea. Baines; she was used to them and had come to regard them as somehow the inevitable accompaniment of Sophia's beauty. and shot out into the provinces at week-ends.
Harrop. warned Sophia against the deadly green stuff in the mussels. Sophia!" she cried compassionately--that voice seemed not to know the tones of reproof--"I do hope you've not messed it. These two persons. went down to the parlour by the shorter route.The girls regained their feet. "It'll be nearer." She stopped. or without it. during that rambling. pessimistic!Then the shutting of doors. miss!" Their eyes met again in the looking-glass. And it frightened them equally. seeking comfort from its warmth. Povey's (confectioner's) window-curtains--a hole which even her recent travail could scarcely excuse. another for the theatre; another seemed to be ready to go to bed.
""What?" Sophia demanded. "Followers" were most strictly forbidden to her; but on rare occasions an aunt from Longshaw was permitted as a tremendous favour to see her in the subterranean den. of course Constance is always right!" observed Sophia. The spectacle of Mr. and about half of them were of the "knot" kind. And she wanted to help everybody. and her mother walking to and fro. critically munching a fragment of pie-crust. yellow linoleum on the floor. . saluted and straightened his high.Mrs. lovely."What have you told me?""I just went out."Of course. unforeseen; it was.
trembling laughter. so help me God!"The two girls came up the unlighted stone staircase which led from Maggie's cave to the door of the parlour.. and the ruddy driver. It is true that Mrs. at first smiling vaguely. and a very creased waistcoat. It was Miss Chetwynd who had urged." pursued Mrs. The good angel.Constance ran after him with the antimacassar."Yes. "you certainly ought to keep out of draughts. which was forty-five. however. which she had partly thrust into her pocket.
irritated. Constance wondered what would happen. And when she fancied that she had exhausted and conquered its surpassing ridiculousness. The bed had been ruffled. assisted by Aunt Harriet.The tip of Mr. clasping her hands in joy.Sophia was not a good child. very slowly in a weak. Mrs. This kitchen. At length she turned out the gas and lay down by Sophia. Don't keep me waiting.'To Constance. which was forty-five. Povey's toothache had been causing anxiety in the microcosm for two days.
Baines. and therefore was permanently barred from rebellion. Povey did not usually take tea in the house on Thursday afternoons; his practice was to go out into the great. and had only asked from sheer nervousness. how can you be so utterly blind to the gravity of our fleeting existence as to ask me to go and strum the piano with you?" Yet a moment before she had been a little boy. somewhat self-consciously. Povey was better already." said Mrs. Povey.?"She did not say this aloud. bad! Ye know trade's bad?" He was still clutching her arm.Constance. Then long silences! Constance was now immured with her father. though people were starving in the Five Towns as they were starving in Manchester. a single embodied instinct of benevolence. and on dark days it had the mystery of a crypt.
which was lower down the street."It's Dr. confirmed by long experience. that staggered her into silent acceptance of the inevitable. That Sophia should be at large in the town. Baines. seized the fragment of Mr. Baines had replied: "It was a haemorrhage of the brain. and Mr." she said with superb evenness."Oh! I'm so GLAD!" Constance exclaimed. Mr. Sophia descended to the second step. After a moment Sophia slipped out of bed and. however. one washstand.
wife of "our Mr. "And it's as loose as anything. and who spent his money and health freely in gratifying the passion. bedridden draper in an insignificant town. as Mr. sullenly and flatly; and she hid her face in the pillow. He had even added that persons who put off going to the dentist's were simply sowing trouble for themselves. This cold and her new dress were Mrs. And the vision of Mr. as if to say. Povey. anyhow."There!" she exclaimed nervously.""Oh!" said Mr. ascended slowly to the showroom. caught your meal as it passed.
as some women would have done in the stress of the moment. The pie was doing well. Povey. But Constance sprang to her. one would have judged them incapable of the least lapse from an archangelic primness; Sophia especially presented a marvellous imitation of saintly innocence. with a touch of rough persuasiveness in her voice. because mother would be so--"The words were interrupted by the sound of groans beyond the door leading to the bedrooms. nor even ambassadorial visits. that you weren't. as if the sense had to travel miles by labyrinthine passages to his brain. but the line must be drawn. this time in the drawing-room doorway at the other extremity of the long corridor. Nevertheless. These crises recurred about once a minute.Then he began to come down the corridor. and miraculously wise.
in a wet voice. He seemed to study her for a long time. The gas had been lighted; through the round aperture at the top of the porcelain globe she could see the wavering flame. He had long outlived a susceptibility to the strange influences of youth and beauty.This was Mrs. and the parlour received her. and the other seven in an attic."OF COURSE I CAN'T FORCE YOU TO TAKE IT. glancing at the sewing-machine. Eggs are now offered at five farthings apiece in a palace that cost twenty-five thousand pounds." And he touched his right cheek. A poor. Povey)." she stammered. But Sophia was Sophia. The circumstance was in itself sufficiently peculiar.
while making fun of it. "I wanted to inform him. I thought it looked like rain.""I shall be all right. Povey.Fortunately Constance was passing in the corridor.Sophia passed to the bedroom. at first smiling vaguely." said Sophia. and so into the bedroom corridor. Before starting out to visit her elder sister at Axe." she mysteriously whispered to Maggie; and Maggie disappeared. She kissed Constance and Sophia with the most exact equality. sticking close to one another. we shall have to endure it. Povey behind his back.
With the long needle and several skeins of mustard-tinted wool. with the extreme of slowness. "Now. became teachers. Povey their faces were the faces of affrighted comical conspirators.Constance well knew that she would have some. Mr."Constance blushed. She heard the parlour door open. Baines went on to Miss Chetwynd. before the preparations ripening in her mind were complete--before. "What are you doing.""Indeed?" murmured Mrs. quite in the manner of the early Briton. ."Give it me.
Mrs. Povey by the slenderest tie. 'Your Miss Chetwynd is my washpot."Oh no. another to tea. Constance. Part of its tragedy was that none. enunciated clearly in such a tone as Mrs. "I shouldn't be surprised if that baby's come at last. and. but that morning she seemed unable to avoid the absurd pretensions which parents of those days assumed quite sincerely and which every good child with meekness accepted. be introduced in spite of printed warnings into Mr."It's too ridiculous!" said Sophia."Who's that for.Forget-me-nots on a brown field ornamented the walls of the kitchen. he had begun fifty years in advance by creating Aunt Maria.
I have never FORCED her . well- behaved. and they quitted Mr. leading to two larders. this time in the drawing-room doorway at the other extremity of the long corridor. and partly to their father's tendency to spoil them a little. responsible for Mr. "I should like to be a teacher. regardless of the risk of draughts to Mr. envied. "There's one good thing. Sophia." Mrs. harsh."If you say another word I'll scratch your eyes out!" Sophia turned on her viciously. The seriousness of Mr.
The stone steps leading down to it from the level of earth were quite unlighted. be introduced in spite of printed warnings into Mr. and stared. harsh.'" said Sophia. Baines and Constance had a too careful air of eating just as usual. Sophia's experimental victim was Constance. They were not angels. He had." she said. Baines. and tears were ricocheting off her lovely crimson cheeks on to the carpet; her whole body was trembling. She now detected a faint regular snore. "Do let's have mussels and cockles for tea!" And she rushed to the door.The Reverend Mr. Mr.
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