The Third Miss Symons

long ceased to desire it. She was now brought into contact with numbers of different people, and a

there are any single elderly ladies left in England, so innumerable are the hosts abroad. Some, like her, had worn their personalities so thin that it seemed likely they would eventually become

creatures, who have no good reason for being there. They were a strange medley for Henrietta to associate with, people whom in her palmy days, as mistress of her father's house, she would

ery pleasant and polite, and Henrietta, as she walked back to table d'h?te, felt she had spent a livelier afternoon than usu

nd at last began: "You know, Miss Symons, my cousin, Colonel Hilton, is rather a peculiar man. I've known him all my life, and I don't

ized that this

ong with his society, but she, unaccustomed to companionship, felt that he sufficed her. She did not think much of the future. When she did, she realized that it was hardly possible they could marry. But meanwh

having discovered that her fortune was not so large as he had been given to suppose. There was a solid something it is true, but for Henrietta, quite middle-aged and decidedly cross (she imagined she was never cross with him), he felt he m

what Henrietta always is-what she was about that other affair with a man years ag

In her heart of hearts she was saying: "Well, when all's said and done, I've had my offer like everyone else." She was grateful for the "dears" too. She did not realiz

n born in Canada, and had grown and prospered. Henrietta stayed with Evelyn for a fortnight when

they did not in the least take the place of the dead. They were not hers; she was almost indignant with Evelyn for caring for them so much, and accused her in her heart of forgetfulness. This made her irritable, which Herbert

the patron of the hotel announced that his lady cousin, who lived at some out-of-the-way little country town, had heard from her friend, a priest in that same little town, that on Tuesday there was to be a special festa in connection with

wn should be reached from Milan, but with an early start and much changing

arance, for the Italians have found that the English will turn up everywher

ell of dirt and stale incense. Not a soul was to be seen. But as the party marched indignantly up and down the aisles, anoth

the help of Henrietta's little phrase-book, they found it must mean "To-morrow." They had come the wrong day. He was very much distressed about it. To make up, if possible, for the disappointment, he showed

cared for much more, his own little brand-new mission church, with its brilliant rosy-cheeked images and artificial wreaths. The boys, fifteen and seventeen, had had enough of

big town clock struck a quarter to eleven. Their train home left

Suppose I and the boys get a walk in the country; and don't wait lunch for us, you kn

priest, who was standing nodding by them: "Ar

r which the phrase-book translated: "The

yn wished that they might meet again, he replied, with his face all over smiles, "I hope perhaps in Paradise"; he could not speak with absolute certainty. Something in the way he said it brought tears to Evelyn's eyes, and Henrietta, who was looking on a

seemed possible could be bought), when rain came on-not gentle English rain, but the fierce cataracts of Italy, let loose for the rest of the day. B

h their shoulders hutched up, staring at their boots, going every quarter of an hour to the front-door to see if it were raining as hard there as it was out of the salon window, and Evelyn only wanted to be left in silence with her headache. But Henrietta would tease the boys. Whatever they did do, or whatever they did not do, seemed an occasion fo

ible for you to talk to Evelyn wi

are about ordinary civility. We love having our little spars together. Sisters don't bot

her seat, but after this Henrietta would hardly talk at a

rgot her disappointment in sleep. The happy day she had

ped them long after everyone else had become tired of them. She did not expect gratitude, nor did she get it. In spite of

o think we shall have her for three weeks. Ethel, it's

nterminable talker, it does worry Arthur s

a dull old maid, merely because she was their aunt and had been kind to them. As one of th

hem, and the second week in December, when she chose her Christmas presents