The Third Miss Symons

an engineer in the North, found work in the neighbourhood and came back too. So that Henrietta's life became at once much fuller of interest and importance than it had been for yea

the house to the time of her death. She had a way with servants: they always liked her, and stayed with her; but latterly she had let things slide, and when Henrietta took her place she found much to critic

ore difficulty, and Mr. Symons was occasionally disturbed in his comfortable library by an indignant appariti

this sort of thing," he would say. Henrietta would defend herself by counter-charges, and on the whole felt

in with muddy paws. From a combination of kindness, weakness, and letting things slide, they made no complaints. Mr. Symons always remembered and felt sorr

e in the same house to realize, where things were tending. Henrietta's temper became less violent; there

eaned from novels and magazines, that as the home daughter to a widowed father, the home sister to two brothers, she would be consulted, leant on, confided in. Mr. Symons missed his wife at every turn, but he never

that they lived in the same house with her caused no automatic opening of the heart. Well on in middle life, William became engaged, and suddenly poured out everything to his love, but for the present he and Harold were conte

ladies, and the happiest hours of her life were spent in visits she and they i

nd close friend-making possessed by our generation. And now Henrietta did not very much want to make frien

Long ere this she had learnt the art of getting through the day with the minimum of employment. Now, of course, her various duties gave her a certain amount to do, but not enough to occupy her mind profitably. She often said, "I am so busy I really haven't a moment to spare," and quite sincerely declined the charge of a district, because she had no time. If any visitors were coming to stay, she spoke of the preparations and the work they entailed, as if all was perfo

fulfil his promising early prospects, while Louie's Colonel, when he retired from the army, occupied his leisure in speculation, and greatly diminished that attractive fortune of his. All three sisters had a certain amount of money left to them by their mother, but in spite of this Minna and Louie

hers of marriage, the least she could do was to help her unfortunate sisters. Still, they disliked being beholden to Henrietta, and, half intentionally, set their children against her to relieve their feelings. The children were not bad children, but Henrietta found their visits burdensome. She was becoming a little set and unwilling to be disturbed, and

f the women whom nothing will satisfy but marriage; on the whole she did not care very much for men. She wanted what she had always wanted, something to love and something to love her. And she had good reason to h

-the regiment went from one foreign station to another

and I could not bear for anyone else to do it but you." The baby died in the first year. Then came a little boy, who lived an even shorter time; then another little girl. The parents and Henrietta hardly dared to hope this time. But the perilous first year

g to exchange if I can to a home regiment, or I shall leave the army. I do not care what we do as long as I get her away. In the

were leaving India. By the time she arrived they would probably be gone, and then what a wild goose chase it would be. Then, of course, she could not go alone, and who was to go with her? Her brothers could not spare the time, and he did not feel up to going, and she must have a man with

she would

possible thing for a young lady to contemplate. You have never even b

e other side would not fight back. She said, "Oh, father, I must go," and when he said, "Nonsense, I couldn't think of it," she collapsed, partly from cowardice, partly from duty, though her fath

not of the same desperate importance; but then she had a small corner of hope hidden away that perhaps something might happen,

ia. She was dangerously ill for some weeks, and when she was better, she

he has always seemed to make so much more fuss over them than over her own nephews and nieces in England. Of course,

the South of France for the winter, and she went away with

rom her own family. In the Riviera she could to a certain extent drown thought, but she counted the

received a lette

Henrietta

that she would be one who could take your dear mother's place. I think it is very possible that you may have observed whither matters were tending. I feel certain that

had entertained them at hers, but that she should be anything more than a friendly acquaintance had never entered Henrietta's head. She was to be ousted, her mother was to be ousted, and she was to give a warm welcome to the interloper. Her forgotten temp

a good excuse for those long talks to a third party, which frequently take place

y much ashamed. She wrote again unsaying all she had s

him in quite a new light-a lover, for he at sixty-fi

s not only very attractive, but she was so thoroughly nice and kind, so intent on making people happy

r she nor her father could forget the letter, it was better that they should par

would not have been known for the same house. The whole household liked Mrs. Symons; even her own dog deserted Henrietta. It was not that she was ousted from her place, it was that Mrs. Symons create

her plans, many hopes that she would visit them, but no regret; with a clearne

fe, "I am not wanted." The anguish she had shared with Evelyn and her husband had been much sharper, but in the midst of it there had been consolation in the exquisite union they

e world to manage by itself. She was very doubtful what she should do. She would not have been welcomed by Minna or Louie, even if she had wished to live with them. Her seco

t little girl's grave, to which Henrietta had wished to contribute. She had written to Evelyn from the Riviera in all the soreness of worn-out nerves and grief from which the subl

so much distressed at your last letter, and answering you took so much out of her, that I have taken the liberty of keeping this one from her. You h

trouble them again. She did not write at all for several weeks, then she felt remorseful, but Herbert could not forgive