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“And my feelings being as much in the way of my logic as those of most other women, I got no further, but broke down into tears.

“‘She says we’re uncandid, Mary’ sobbed Miss Martha.

“‘So we are, I believe,’ said Miss Mary, and then we all cried together.

“I think the protracted worry of this misunderstanding (which had been a long one) had made me almost hysterical. I clearly remember the feeling of lying with my face against the horsehair sofa in the little dining-room, feebly repeating, ‘You shouldn’t, you know. You shouldn’t!’ amid my tears, my hair being softly stroked the while by the two sisters, who comforted me, and blamed themselves with a depth of self-abasement that almost made me laugh. It had hardly seemed possible that their customary humility could go lower. The affair was wound up with a good deal of kissing, and tea, and there were no more suspicions for a long time.

* * * * *

“There had been peace, as I said, for long. But as, at the best of times, the Misses Brooke never gave us an invitation without going through the form of apologizing for the probable dulness of the entertainment, I was not surprised one morning to find myself invited to tea at Belle Vue Cottage for the following evening, on the strict condition that I should refuse the invitation if I felt disinclined to go. I had met the good ladies as we came out of church. There was Morning Prayer on Wednesdays and Fridays at one church in the town, and if the two little straw bonnets of the Misses Brooke had not been seen bending side by side at every service, the rest of the scanty congregation would have been as much astonished as if every one in the town who had time and opportunity for public worship had availed themselves of the privilege. On this day they had been there as usual, and when we turned up the street together, the invitation was given.

“‘And could you induce your respected father to come with you, Mary dear?’ added Miss Mary. ‘You know our rooms are small, or we should be so glad to see Fatima. But we have a few friends coming, and she will understand.’

“‘Only a few,’ Miss Martha said, hastily. ‘Don’t make her think there’s anything worth coming for, Mary. And mind, Mary dear, if you don’t care to come, that you say so. There’s no need for “excuses” with us. And you know exactly what our tea-parties are.’

“‘Now, Miss Martha,’ I said, shaking my fist at her, ‘I won’t bear it!’

“‘Well, my dear, you know it’s true. And if you should have an invitation to the Lodge between now and to-morrow night, mind you throw us over. There’s no dancing and heavy supper at the Cottage.’

“‘I’ll eat a pound of beefsteak and have a private hornpipe to fortify me before I come, ma’am. And if the Lightfoots should ask me between now and then, I’ll think about throwing over my oldest friends to oblige you!’

“‘You’re very clever, my dear,’ sighed Miss Martha, ‘and it’s easy to laugh at a stupid old woman like me.’

“Now this was rather unfair, for I had only taken to banter on these occasions because a serious treatment of the subject had failed. I made my peace, however, by grave and affectionate assurances that I wished to come, and would like to come; and by adding a solemn promise that if I felt averse from it when the time came, I would stay at home.

“I was vexed to find symptoms of the old misunderstanding arising. The good ladies were evidently in a fidgety humour to-day, and going home full of it, I poured out my vexation to Fatima.

“Fatima’s composure was not so easily ruffled as mine. She was apt to sit in easy, graceful attitudes, looking very idle, but getting through a wonderful amount of exquisite needlework, and listening to my passing grievances without being much disturbed herself.