looks as if he had never had a chance of being nice."

"I don't believe he has ever wanted one," Miriam said.

CHAPTER XIII

Uncle Alfred wrote a short note from Calais, and on the day when old
Halkett was taken to his grave another letter came to say that Philip
Caniper was dead before the travellers could reach him.

"Then we're poor little orphans, like George," Miriam said, and, with
the peering look which asked how far she might venture, she added, "And,
like George, we have our Mrs. Biggs."

If Helen heard those words, she made no sign. "She'll never be happy
again," she said.

"Well, she never has been happy, and she has never wanted us to be
happy, so nothing's changed."

"What can we do?" Helen went on, and her thoughts alighted on such
practical kindnesses as a perfect state of cleanliness in the house to
which Notya would return, flowers in her bedroom for a welcome, and a
great willingness to do what pleased her. "But we mustn't be too
obvious," she murmured to herself.

"And whatever you do, don't slobber."

"Is it likely?" Helen asked superbly.

The firmest intentions in that direction would have been frustrated by
the sight of Mildred Caniper's cold face, and Helen saw with surprise
that it was almost as it had always been. Her "Well, Helen!" was as calm
as her kiss, and only when she raised her veil was her bitter need of
sleep revealed. Then, too, Helen saw that her features and her fair,
bright colouring had suffered an indefinable blurring, as though, in
some spiritual process, their sharpness had been lost, and while she
looked at her, Helen felt the full weight of responsibility for this
woman settling once more on her own slim shoulders. Yet she noticed that
the shadows which had hung so thickly in the house became thinner as
soon as Mildred Caniper entered it. No doubt they had slipped into the
body which was their home.

"Daniel is here," Helen said, "because it's Saturday and we didn't know
you were coming."

"Well?"

"I thought you might be sorry. And we have asked him to stay the night."

"I promise not to turn him out," Mildred Caniper said, with her humorous
look, and Helen laughed back with a friendliness for which Miriam,
listening in a corner, admired her secretly.

"But I shall want to talk to you this evening when you are all
together," Notya said.

For that ceremony, Miriam wore her customary black with an air which at
once changed the dress into one of mo