to say. She had never met any one
in the least like this before.

"I do hope," Miss Smith went on, "that you don't think me forward. I
daresay you do. But I can't bear wasting time. Of course I heard that
you were coming, so then I looked out for you in chapel to-day. I
thought you looked so nice that I said to mother, 'I'll go and see her
this very afternoon.' Of course I've known your aunts for ages. I'm
always in and out here so that it isn't as bad as it seems. They'll all
be back for tea soon and I want to have a talk first."

"Thank you very much," was all that Maggie could think of to say.

"You've come to live here, haven't you?" continued Miss Smith. "I'm so
glad. I think you look so nice. You don't mind my saying that, do you?
I always tell people what I think of them and then one knows where one
is. Now, do tell me--I'm simply dying to know--what do you think of
everything?"

"Well," said Maggie, smiling, "I only arrived here yesterday. It's
rather difficult to say."

"Oh! I know. I saw Mr. Magnus this morning and he told me that he met
you. He said you were ill. You don't look ill."

"It was very silly of me," said Maggie, "I don't know what made me
faint. I've never done such a thing before."

"I used to faint simply heaps of times when I was a kid," said Miss
Smith, "I was always doing it. I had all sorts of doctors. They thought
I'd never grow up. I'm not very strong now really. They say it's heart,
but I always say it can't be that because I've given it all away." Here
Miss Smith laughed immoderately.

"Weren't they the most terrible set of frumps at chapel this morning?"

She did not wait for an answer, but went on: "Mr. Warlock's all right,
of course. I think he's such a fine-looking man, don't you? Of course
he's old now, but his beard's rather attractive I think. He's a duck,
but isn't that harmonium ghastly? I can't think why they don't buy an
organ, they're most awfully rich I know, and do simply nothing with
their money."

"Why do you go," said Maggie, "if you think it all so dreadful?"

"Oh! I have to go," said Miss Smith, "to please mother. And one has to
do something on Sunday, and besides one sees one's friends. Did you
notice Martin Warlock, Mr. Warlock's son, you know. He was sitting
quite close to me."

"He was here yesterday afternoon," said Maggie quietly.

"Oh, was he really? Now that is interesting. I wonder what he came for.
He scarcely ever comes here. Did you like hi