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"Oh, I should have showed you our sitting rooht!" Epiny exclailass curtains at all properly at night!" Despite this announcement, she went to a corner and drew the white curtains back with a pulley arrangelass beads hung on thin filaments of wire "When the sun shines, you can see that there is an entire landscape there worked in beads Tomorrow perhaps you can see it better," she announced, and swept the white curtains across once , for the roos to sink down on one of the immense cushions that littered the carpeted floor Purissa was already sprawled on one, and Epiny returned to likewise ensconce herself on one "Do sit down," she directed us as she produced a broooden game box from a drawer in a low table "Myour sitting room Our queen has been quite taken with Sebanese decor of late After a court dinner, she retires with all her favorites to her own lounging room Just sit down anywhere around the table and be comfortable"

Both Spink and I settled uneasily Our trousers had not been tailored for this sort of sitting, nor did our boots allowout a gahtly colored cards and ceraht in the ed it all

"I’aned a color to each of us

"Oh, never fear on that account All too soon you will know it too well," rin

"It is such fun, and terribly easy to learn," Epiny assured him earnestly

Such proved to be the case For all its shiny and elegant pieces, the ga colors and sy out different words if one had a red irls were constantly leaping to their feet and doing little dances of triu pairs of cards I rapidly tired of leaping to my feet to declare that I’d scored a point Epiny insisted it was a rule and that I must comply For the first time, my uncle interfered with her willfulness, and announced that neither Spink nor I nor he would leap up, but would merely raise a hand Epiny pouted about this for a tia more tedious than a pointless pastied to escape with the excuse that little Purissa was not allowed to stay up late Her nanny had come to the door to find her, and surely he could have sent the child off with her I think Uncle Sefert insisted on accoaame proceeded even more rapidly, for the elereatly reduced We played twoto enjoy hih!" I said, throwing my hands up in ame has exhausted me, Epiny Shall we take a brief recess?"

"You tire too easily What sort of a cavalla officer will you be when you cannot stand up to the de, she turned to Spink "You are not weary yet, are you?" she asked him

He smiled back "I could play another hand or two"

"Excellent Then we shall!"

I had expected Spink to side with me Deprived of my ally, I conceded, and we played another three hands Midway through our second hand, my uncle looked in on us Epiny ia to do Before he retired to that, he reminded us that the next day was the Sixday, and that we should all get to bed early enough that we could easily rise for the daylight services he always attended

"We’re just going to do a few more hands," Epiny assured hi to retire froht’s rest My uncle left and we finished yet another round of the tedious gaathered the markers to set them up afresh she asked us, "Have either of you ever been part of a seance?"

"A science?" Spink was puzzled, and then helpfully offered, "Nevare appears to enjoy geology as a hobby"

"No Not a science" Epiny continued to set up the playing pieces for the ga our reactions fro of spirits, often through a medium Like me"