ing
woman."

Again Mrs. Banks at a loss for words, looked at her daughter for
assistance.

"Dear me, how dreadful it must be to know such people," said Mrs. Banks,
shivering.

"Yes," sighed the other. "It used to make me feel sorry for her--they
were utterly shapeless, you know. Horrid!"

"That's how Mrs. Banks' are," said the Captain, nodding sagely. "You
look 'ot, Mrs. Banks. Shall I open the winder a bit?"

"I'll thank you not to talk about me like that, Captain Barber," said
Mrs. Banks, the flowers on her hat trembling.

"As you please, ma'am," said Captain Barber, with a stateliness which
deserved a better subject. "I was only repeating what Dr. Hodder told me
in your presence."

Mrs. Banks made no reply, but created a diversion by passing her cup
up for more tea; her feelings, when Mrs. Church took off the lid of the
teapot and poured in about a pint of water before helping her, belonging
to that kind known as in-describable.

"Water bewitched, and tea begrudged," she said, trying to speak
jocularly.

"Well, the fourth cup never is very good, is it," said Mrs. Church,
apologetically. "I'll put some more tea in, so that your _next_ cup'll
be better."

As a matter of fact it was Mrs. Banks' third cup, and she said so, Mrs.
Church receiving the correction with a polite smile, more than tinged
with incredulity.

"It's wonderful what a lot of tea is drunk," said Captain Barber,
impressively, looking round the table.

"I've heard say it's like spirit drinking," said Mrs. Church; "they say
it gets such a hold of people that they can't give it up. They're just
slaves to it, and they like it brown and strong like brandy."

Mrs. Banks, who had been making noble efforts, could contain herself no
longer. She put down the harmless beverage which had just been handed to
her, and pushed her chair back from the table.

"Are you speaking of me, young woman?" she asked, tremulous with
indignation.

"Oh, no, certainly not," said Mrs. Church, in great distress. "I never
thought of such a thing. I was alluding to the people Captain Barber was
talking of--regular tea-drinkers, you know."

"I know what you mean, ma'am," said Mrs. Banks fiercely.

"There, there," said Captain Barber, ill-advisedly.

"Don't you say 'there, there,' to me, Captain Barber, because I won't
have it," said the old lady, speaking with great rapidity; "if you think
that I'm going to sit here and be insulted by--by that woman, you're
mist