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38 back with smelling-salts and apologies. Aunt Elizabeth, however, was not sufficiently herself to read prayers, which Cathie did instead, declaiming a particularly unchristian psalm which called down many curses on her enemies, in her impressive voice, while Elizabeth by degrees grew quieter. By breakfast-time she was so far recovered as to be able to say what she thought in choked and quavering utterance.

"It isn't much that you have to remember, Lucia," she said, "nor are there many duties that fall upon your shoulders. But if you could manage to recollect that hawthorn is poison to me, I should be grateful. And unless our eggs are going to be like eggs in salad, you might be so kind as to put the spirit-lamp out."

She unfolded the Daily Telegraph.

"And I felt so happy and well this morning," she added, "what with getting that shade of wool, and Demon coming out last night. But no one considers me, and I'm sure I ought to have got used to it by this time."

A sudden resolve to shake off her reticence seized Aunt Cathie. She was sorry for Lucia, and tried to express it, so as she came back from the side-table with the probably-salad eggs, she made a fierce kind of dab at her, the intention being to lay a sympathetic hand on her arm. Two of the eggs were broken on the floor, and they were not of the necessary consistency for salad. Aunt Elizabeth rose, though she had not begun breakfast.

"I will go and lie down," she said. "Catherine, please order what you like for lunch, if you are not too busy to see Mrs. Inglis. And the carpet was laid down only last winter."

Lucia meantime had been making matters worse on the floor.

"Oh, Aunt Elizabeth, I am so sorry!" she said, "but Aunt Cath—but something jogged my arm. It was most careless of me, and please let me have the carpet cleaned with my money."

Providence had bestowed the gift of irony on Aunt Elizabeth.

"It would be a new use for the coin of the realm to clean the carpet with it," she said brokenly. "If it is not too much, Lucia, might I ask you not to stamp above my head as you did all last night, keeping me awake? Thank you, dear; I shall try to get a little rest."

Lucia and Aunt Cathie were left alone, and when the door had closed, the latter spoke.

"Eat the other egg, Lucia," she observed, "and don't mind Elizabeth. My belief is she slept like a top. Heard her snoring