essed her face against the glass. Darkness set in, and
the lamps were lit in the street. Katie went to the window to pull down
the blinds.

"No, don't touch them," said Mrs. Staunton fretfully--she still kept
staring out into the street. Presently she called Effie to her.

"Doesn't that man turning the corner look something like George?" she
exclaimed.

Effie looked eagerly.

"No, that's not George," she said.

"Agnes, you have better sight," called Mrs. Staunton to her next
daughter; "come and watch with me--we are sure to see him soon. It can't
be that he has gone away for the night--for the whole night. Isn't that
him? Look at that man,--that one crossing the road--that one in the
waterproof. Oh, how hard it is raining! If George is out much longer,
he'll be drenched to the skin. Aggie, look; and you, Katie, can't you
watch? Now, _that_ man, isn't that George?"

"No, no, mother!" answered the poor children, in affright.

Mrs. Staunton kept on making exclamations. Again and again she cried out
hopefully that surely George was coming now; but George himself never
really appeared. Effie knew that she would get into hopeless disgrace at
St. Joseph's. No matter! she could not leave her mother at such a
moment. Each instant she became more anxious about her. She called Agnes
aside, and told her that she had put a stop to the late dinner, and also
to the extra attendance, but as probably some dinner had been ordered
for that evening, she had better go down and bring it up, as Mrs.
Staunton must be forced to eat at any cost.

Agnes tripped out of the room, and presently returned with a couple of
pork chops and some baked potatoes. She flung them down on the table,
exclaiming that the tray was heavy. She looked cross, and evidently
seemed to think that Effie was making a great fuss over nothing.

"Why can't George be away for a single night without everyone getting
into such a state?" she murmured.

Effie took the tray from her and gave her a look of reproach. She laid
the cloth herself, and made the table look as pretty as she could. She
then went to her mother, drew her gently but firmly away from the
window, and, making her sit down, tried to coax her to eat.

Mrs. Staunton looked at the chops with dazed eyes.

"Those were for George," she exclaimed. "What a shame to bring them up
before he has come into the house! They'll be cold and sodden, and he
hates his food sodden. You don't suppose I'm going to touch