The Spinster Book

l Pos

house, already exquisitely clean, received further polishing without protest. Savoury odours

. "Are we going to have

esday," exp

what

es to see Aunt Peace ev

octor Bri

hysician of E

here last

saying that her attention was for the moment occupied by other guests from out of

"Are they going

dy. She receives Doctor Brinkerh

to live in West Lancaster, but Aunt Peace says that any gentleman who is received by a lady in her bedroom may a

vigorously rubbed the tall candlestick. Lynn fairly chok

nd I am not funny. I consi

" asked Irving, instantly s

l cloth in ammonia, "and we have to live up to it. If w

I have it,"

. I was born of poor but honest parents," she went on, having evidently absorbed the phrase from her school Reader, "so I was respect

k at Lynn. "It is strange to me," she said, "that coming from the city, as you do, you should not know about such things." Here she sent him the quickest pos

, "will you wash the Royal Worcester plate?

able. "We did not wait for you," Aunt Peace explained, "because we were in a hurry. Immediately after lunc

studying the violin will kindly not practise until after three o'clock, and that it would

antly, "you are extremely intellig

st Lancaster, Iris had kept solemn guard over the front door on Wednesdays, from two to three. Rash visitors never reached the bell, but were met, on the doorstep, by a little maid whos

rhaps, I shall meet some of my old friends. I shall visit strange lands and have many new experiences, some of which will

mistress of the mansion smiled back at them over th

ther or Iris to accompany him. "I'm walked enough at night as it is," said M

path. The mother listened, fondly, till the cheery notes died away in the distance. "Bl

paced to and fro; down the long hall, then back, through the parlour and library, an

nd paid no attention to him. From the distant orchard came the breath of apple blooms, and a single bluebird winged his solitary way across the fi

itself through her m

is love sha

s her sh

the spirit

without

y still p

gings no

she grows

s of Dre

the world

l the son

doth he

and kind

d, "empty dreams, whi

room, but did not turn away from the window. Iris was one of those rare people w

ft by itself, because it is of a different specific gravity. When the cup is stirred, the lees taint the whole, and it takes

the long lashes that swept the tinted cheek, the masses of blue-black hair over the low, white brow, the tender wistfulness in the lines of th

for your own sake, allow yourself to regret your faith in him. If you love him and he loves you, there are no barriers between you-they are nothing but cobwebs. Sweep them aside with a single stroke of magnificent daring, and go. Social position counts for nothing, other

yet with evident understanding. Margaret's face was full of tende

k eyes, the set lips, and even in the slender hands that hovered whitely over

n-a soft, heavy black silk, simply made. At the neck and wrists were bits of rare old lace, and her one jewel, an emerald of grea

ou dream?"

e never slept so soundly before. Our g

t her side, she took out the thread lace she

," said Margaret. "I feel like a

Peace. "Iris, do you think the cakes

hey're eve

ke out the

he very

d him not to come. The common people sometimes feel those things more ke

said Iris, with a little smile, "but

e thought," she cried, gaily, "that I should ever have the time to make myself a pet

Field, "let me s

med and exquisitely made, and the old lady examined it critically. "It is no

id, "all over West Lancaster and through the woods on both sides of it. I had some flowers for all of you, but I laid them down on a s

argaret. "Even Aunt Peace is knitting lac

e. Much to his surprise, it was immediately snatched away from him. Iris paused only long enough to administer

nn, ruefully. "Why wouldn't sh

s been brought up like a lady! Gentlemen did not e

sideways at his mother. She was bending over her work, and h

ening, Doctor," said Miss Field, in her stately way; "I assure you this is quite a pl

; almost painfully neat, and evide

ou are wel

d ladies in East Lancaster were as well as I, you would soon

stilted by the presence of strangers. It was the commonplace talk of little things, which distinguishes the c

lay chess?"

xcuse us, I shall be

r a book she had been reading, and the young people w

lf with the second. It had always been so, and for ten years she had taken a childish deligh

antry. Once he had been indiscreet and had won all three games

d-fashioned silver watch with apparent surprise. "I h

e offer you some refreshment befor

what was expected of her, and dimples cam

tea-perhaps there may be one or two

ll

rinkerhoff's favourite cakes, freshly made, had been carefully put away. On

th cakes, a tray of glasses, and a decanter of Miss

a week for ten years. Aunt Peace filled the glasses, and when all had bee

d hers with the clear ring of cry

y," she returned. The

Iris," he said, "may

ch o

urie,' if

her deep voice, and even Lynn, who was listening c

way, his hostess cordially

ming man," s

ed Lynn, with more

yawn behind her fan, "it is a thousand