rprise that Annie forgave
her a good many of her sins on the spot.

Mrs. Willis came up to her and held out her hand.

"How do you do?" she said. "Sir John Thornton told us this morning at
breakfast that we might have the pleasure of meeting you here. Are you
well?"

"Oh, yes, I'm--I'm quite well, ma'am," replied Susy, stammering out her
words in hopeless confusion.

"Nora, dear, you are looking very tired," continued Mrs. Willis. "I
propose to have tea with you here alone, and to read to you for a little
afterwards. Annie, will you take Miss Drummond to the drawing-room? I
saw the tea equipage being taken in as I passed."

Susy shambled out of the room in Annie's wake.

CHAPTER XXI.

HESTER SPEAKS HER MIND.

The next day was Sunday, and Susy, notwithstanding her strong
inclinations, was forced to submit to Sir John Thornton's decree that
she should not visit the Towers that day. Hester had sent a hurried note
to Molly apprizing her of Susy's arrival, and begging of her, if she
valued her peace of mind, not to come near the Grange on this dreadful
Sunday.

It passed somehow. Poor Hester always, during the remainder of her life,
looked back upon it as a day of hopeless worry and confusion of brain.
Everyone seemed to be playing the game of cross-purposes with everyone
else. Sir John kept on assuring himself that he was the happiest man in
existence, while Mrs. Bernard Temple and Antonia evidently trod on his
corns at each step he took. Susy, in her moments of wakefulness, was sly
and watchful. Antonia was absolutely indifferent to everything but high
art. Mrs. Bernard Temple was busy as busy could be making hay while the
sun shone. She guessed shrewdly--perhaps her experiences with the late
Mr. Bernard Temple helped her--that it was during the time of courtship
when most of her wishes would be carried out. She insisted, therefore,
on going carefully into the many alterations which she proposed to make
in the Grange, and Sir John, notwithstanding his innate aversion to fuss
of any kind, was forced to listen to her demands, and, as he was really
attached to her, she soon got him to say yes to her different proposals.

Nan and Hester, Annie and Nora, kept as much together as possible. This
was made easy for them by kind Mrs. Willis, who not only kept Susy in
considerable awe, but contrived to interest Antonia by allowing her to
talk art to her by the hour. Antonia used a jargon which Mrs. Willis did
not