Page 183 (1/1)

"What is the other sort?"

"Why, an infinite capacity for doing without thener, you know Well, I wish to be the Bach sort--the kind of thing that anyone ought to be able to do--only they can't"

Mabel san presently

Maggie's face turned suddenly severe

"I don't wish to hear one word"

"But she's given it up," cried the girl "She's given it up"

"I'ie judicially "And I hope now that she'll spend the rest of her days in sackcloth--with a scourge," she added "Oh, did I tell you about Mrs Nugent?"

"About the evening Laurie caot all sorts of things on her mind, when it leaked out But I talked to her, and ent up together and put flowers on the grave, and I said I'd have a h I'! Butbut(don't think me brutal, please) how providential her death was! Just think!"

"Mrs Baxter's coie nodded

"Yes; but you know you mustn't say a word to her about all this In fact she won't have it She's perfectly convinced that Laurie overworked himself--Laurie, overworked!--and that that was just all that was the matter with him Auntie's what's called a sensible woman, you know, and I must say it's rather restful It's what I want to be; but it's a far-off aspiration, I'h I'm nearer it than I was"

"Youodd happened at all?"

"Just so Nothing at all odd All very natural Oh, by the way, Laurie swears he never put his nose inside her rooht, but I'm absolutely certain he did, and didn't know it"

"Where is Mr Lawrence?"

"Auntie o abroad"

"And when does he come back?"

There was a perceptible pause

"Mr Lawrence coie deliberately