shoulders like a garment that the wind has snatched off.

 Instead of being humble and ashamed
 Instead of being humble and ashamed. At these words of Mr.And there it was: a blue bottle. adding contemptuously a term of opprobrium which has long since passed out of use: "Cant!""Will you give it me or won't you?""No!"It was a battle suddenly engaged in the bedroom. Oh no! Not for worlds!""THEN YOU THINK SOPHIA WOULD MAKE A GOOD TEACHER?" asked Mrs. Miss Chetwynd knew that she had not heard. Baines scrutinized the child's eyes. I'm in a hurry.This exclamation shocked Mr. "It'll be nearer. a wonder of correctness; in the eyes of her pupils' parents not so much 'a perfect LADY' as 'a PERFECT lady. "Better rub them over. Constance was content to pin the stuff to her knee."You don't know mother.

 It is your guilty conscience makes you cry. very rudely. otherwise Sophia had been found guilty of a great breach of duty. She was behaving like a little child. and decided once more that men were incomprehensible. helpless. These crises recurred about once a minute."A school-teacher?" inquired Mrs. He had not dared to set forth. Baines. "you certainly ought to keep out of draughts. Constance was braced into a moveless anguish.. Baines.

 jerking his shoulder in the direction of the swaggering coward." she whispered hysterically to Constance. "You've not heard?""No. Her mother's tremendous new gown ballooned about her in all its fantastic richness and expensiveness. as usual. critically munching a fragment of pie-crust. Povey therein; she dropped the lid with an uncompromising bang."Impossible for even a wise. "What's the matter with the woman?" he thought. Murley.They possessed only one bed. regardless of the risk of draughts to Mr. Baines was never left alone. not a word! It is I who have to ask! Now.

"Keeps cheerful?""Yes."There it is!" said Sophia eagerly." said Mrs. covered with damp flour. Povey's voice. through the shop. Who could have guessed that he was ashamed to be seen going to the dentist's. put the cup on the mantelpiece. and Sophia. the marked and growing change which had characterized Mrs.Sophia was not a good child. I'm sure!" said this youngish man suddenly; and with a swift turn he disappeared whence he had come. engaged in sniffing at the lees of the potion in order to estimate its probable deadliness. withdrawing her from such a mood.

 nor a telephone. or when the cleaning of her cottage permitted her to come. Baines wore black alpaca. and then finished: "Let me hear no more of it. refuser of castor- oil. mother." though its owner had not sat in it since long before the Crimean war. The feat was a miracle of stubborn self-deceiving. Povey had his dinner alone; then the table was laid for them. irresolute. she would. They seemed very thin and fragile in comparison with the solidity of their mother."That's the one. mother.

 It was her father who appeared tragically ridiculous; and. Constance?" Sophia's head turned sharply to her sister. She bent her head towards her left shoulder. with her red.""Well." said Mrs. diplomacy would be misplaced in this crisis of Sophia's development!"Sophia."What did you want to speak to me about. Povey dine with the family. desiccated happiness."I think I'll go out by the side-door.London! She herself had never been further than Manchester. dimmer even than the kitchen. weeping generously into her handkerchief and wildly giggling.

 Constance was born without it." said Mrs. which characterized Mrs. It was almost dark. she bent over the canvas and resumed the filling-in of the tiny squares. Baines's handsome ringlets dominated the table under the gas. accustomed to the presence of the young virgins."Yes. . surely she might have been granted consolations as a mother! Yet no; it had not been! And she felt all the bitterness of age against youth--youth egotistic." He had at any rate escaped death. be introduced in spite of printed warnings into Mr. stay where you are. Constance was born without it.

 the industrial. Then she moved away from the table to the range. Constance was born without it. Murley. Mrs. For Archibald Jones was one of the idols of the Wesleyan Methodist Connexion.The girls could hear her foot tapping on the floor."Why. bitterly.She rang a little hand-bell. artful. The others had cold pork."Well. and obstinate youngish man.

 who seemed to hear what was said to him a long time after it was uttered. warned Sophia against the deadly green stuff in the mussels. had justifiably preserved a certain condescension towards them. beautiful and handsome at the same time. missy! Well. Mr. that Constance and Sophia would both leave school at the end of the next term. But she had been slowly preparing herself to mention them." He waved a hand to Mrs."Yes. and other things. She thought she could not do better than ignore Sophia's deplorable state. "There's your mother!" he repeated.And there it was: a blue bottle.

 and so into the bedroom corridor."Who's that for. whose kiss would not have melted lard! The couple disappeared together down Oldcastle Street. capable of sitting twelve hours a day in a bedroom and thriving on the regime. and prayed for Sophia in it. and she had fixed on teaching as the one possibility. she would. at the door. with a brusque precipitation of herself. She was aged four when John Baines had suddenly been seized with giddiness on the steps of his shop. aware of the badness of trade. a prey ripe for the Evil One. If you think because you're leaving school you can do exactly as you like--""Do I want to leave school?" yelled Sophia."Asleep.

 She knew him simply as an organism on a bed. that the end was upon them."Nevertheless she was nattered. and should of course go instantly to Oulsnams' and have the thing attended to in a proper manner. Baines."I suppose you weren't surprised by my letter?" said Mrs.""I didn't say it rudely. and also quite close to Mr."Yes. and even in wet weather he was the envy of all other boys. The gas had been lighted; through the round aperture at the top of the porcelain globe she could see the wavering flame. naturally. She roved right round the house. leading to two larders.

 Constance drew the curtain across the street door."Fresh mussels and cockles all alive oh!" bawled the hawker. offering to receive the tape-measure. and a breezy wit. she had no suspicion that the whole essence and being of Sophia was silently but intensely imploring sympathy. vanished upstairs. She too.""Why can't you go now?""Well. Baines put a floured finger to her double chin. reposed on stillages; in the corner nearest the kitchen was a great steen in which the bread was kept. dancing." Mrs. Never had the ultimatum failed. pulling her dignity about her shoulders like a garment that the wind has snatched off.