ect. Not even a choice between bankruptcy and mania, but
a certainty of _both_! And within a year, too! Such a short run for
one's money! Aunt Eliza had some suggestion to make, then? And you
evidently approved. Would you mind telling me exactly what it was?"

"That is what I am trying to do, but you _will_ interrupt. Naturally,
your home is with us, your mother's sisters. You shall have the blue
room over the porch. If you wish it, we are willing that you should
bring your own pictures. The silver and valuables you can send to the
bank, and the furniture can be sold. You shall pay us five guineas a
week, and we will keep your horse, and house old Bridget if you don't
want to part from her. She can attend to your room, and sleep in the
third attic. There would be no extras except washing, and a fire in
your room. You know how we live; every comfort, but no excess. I
disapprove of excess. Eliza and I have often regretted that you and
Kathie have such extravagant ways. Early tea, as if you were old women,
and bare shoulders for dinner. You may laugh, my dear, but it's no
laughing matter. One thing leads to another. You can't wear an evening
dress and sit down to a chop. Soup and fish and an _entree_ before you
know where you are. We have high tea. You would save money on evening
gowns alone. A dressy blouse is all that is required."

Aunt Emmeline paused to draw breath, twitched, jerked, and resolutely
braced herself to say a difficult thing.

"And--and we shall welcome you, my dear! We shall be p-pleased to have
you!"

Through all her protestation of welcome, through all her effort at
warmth, the plain, unflattering truth forced its way out. To entertain
a young independent niece beneath their roof might seem to the two aunts
a duty, but, most certainly, most obviously, it would _not_ be a
pleasure! I was quite convinced that for myself it would be a fiery
trial to accept the offer; but it was a shock to realise that the aunts
felt the same!

I reviewed the situation from the two points of view, the while Aunt
Emmeline feverishly hacked at the hard sugar coating of the cake. For a
young, comparatively young woman, to go from the liberty of her own
home to share the stuffy, conventional, dull, proper,
do-nothing-but-fuss-and-talk-for-ever-about-nothing life of two old
ladies in a country town would obviously be a change for the worse; but
for the aforesaid old ladies to have their trivial