Now her eyelids were red, and she was obliged to
hang shivering out of the window, until they had regained their natural
colour, before she could face Cecil's sharp eyes.

Janet arrived soon after eleven o'clock on Saturday morning, and was
shown into the saffron parlour where Claire sat over her week's mending.
She wore a spring suit purchased in Paris, and a hat which was probably
smart, but very certainly was unbecoming, slanting as it did at a
violent angle over her plump, good-humoured face, and almost entirely
blinding one eye. She caught sight of her own reflection in the
overmantel and exclaimed, "What a fright I look!" as she seated herself
by the table, and threw off her furs. "Don't hurry, please. Let me
stay and watch. What are you doing? Mending a blouse? How clever of
you to be able to use your fingers as well as your brains! I never sew,
except stupid fancy-work for bazaars. So this is your room! You told
me about the walls. Can you imagine any one in cold blood choosing such
a paper? But it looks cosy all the same. I _do_ like little rooms with
everything carefully in reach. They are ever so much nicer than big
ones, aren't they?"

"No."

Janet pealed with laughter.

"That's right, snub me! I deserve to be snubbed. Of course, I meant
when you have big ones as well! Who is the pretty girl in the carved
frame? Your mother! Do you mean it, really? What a ridiculous mamma!
I'm afraid, Claire, I'm afraid she is even prettier than you!"

"Oh, she is; I know it. But I have more charm," returned Claire
demurely, whereat they laughed again--a peal of happy girlish laughter,
which reached Lizzie's ears as she polished the oilcloth in the hall,
and roused an envious sigh.

"It's well to be some folks!" thought poor Lizzie. "Motor-cars, and
fine dresses, and nothing to do of a Saturday morning but sit still and
laugh. I could laugh myself if I was in her shoes!"

Claire folded away her blouse, and took up a bundle of gloves.

"These are your gloves. They have been such a comfort to me. There's a
button missing somewhere. Tell me all about your holiday! Did you have
a good time? Was it as nice as you expected?"

"Yes. No. It _was_ a good time, but--do you think anything ever
_quite_ comes up to one's expectation? I had looked forward to that
month for the whole year, and had built so many fairy castles. You have
stayed in Switzerland? You know how the scene changes when the