t to let us know."

He continued to look at her with dull eyes. "I ain't been sick," he
said. "Leastways not very: only one of my old turns." He spoke in a slow
laboured way, as if he had difficulty in getting his words together.

"Rheumatism?" she ventured, seeing how unwillingly he seemed to move.

"Well--somethin' like, maybe. I couldn't hardly put a name to it."

"If it WAS anything like rheumatism, my grandmother used to make a
tea--" Ann Eliza began: she had forgotten, in the warmth of the moment,
that she had only come as Evelina's messenger.

At the mention of tea an expression of uncontrollable repugnance passed
over Mr. Ramy's face. "Oh, I guess I'm getting on all right. I've just
got a headache to-day."

Ann Eliza's courage dropped at the note of refusal in his voice.

"I'm sorry," she said gently. "My sister and me'd have been glad to do
anything we could for you."

"Thank you kindly," said Mr. Ramy wearily; then, as she turned to the
door, he added with an effort: "Maybe I'll step round to-morrow."

"We'll be real glad," Ann Eliza repeated. Her eyes were fixed on a dusty
bronze clock in the window. She was unaware of looking at it at
the time, but long afterward she remembered that it represented a
Newfoundland dog with his paw on an open book.

When she reached home there was a purchaser in the shop, turning over
hooks and eyes under Evelina's absent-minded supervision. Ann Eliza
passed hastily into the back room, but in an instant she heard her
sister at her side.

"Quick! I told her I was goin' to look for some smaller hooks--how is
he?" Evelina gasped.

"He ain't been very well," said Ann Eliza slowly, her eyes on Evelina's
eager face; "but he says he'll be sure to be round to-morrow night."

"He will? Are you telling me the truth?"

"Why, Evelina Bunner!"

"Oh, I don't care!" cried the younger recklessly, rushing back into the
shop.

Ann Eliza stood burning with the shame of Evelina's self-exposure. She
was shocked that, even to her, Evelina should lay bare the nakedness of
her emotion; and she tried to turn her thoughts from it as though its
recollection made her a sharer in her sister's debasement.

The next evening, Mr. Ramy reappeared, still somewhat sallow and
red-lidded, but otherwise his usual self. Ann Eliza consulted him about
the investment he had recommended, and after it had been settled that he
should attend to the matter for her he took up the illustrated volume of
Lo