anet's insistence, Hilda shook her head.

"Where's Tom?" she inquired, to change the subject.

"Oh!" Alicia burst out again. "He's gone off _hours_ ago to escort his
ladylove from Hanbridge to Hillport."

"You wait till you're engaged, Alicia!" Janet suggested. But Janet's
eyes, too, twinkled the admission that Tom was just then providing much
innocent amusement to the family.

"You'll sleep in my room to-night, anyhow, dear," said Janet, when
Martha and Hilda's cabman had brought a trunk into the hall, and Hilda
had paid the cabman far more than his fare because he was such a
friendly young cabman and because he possessed a pulmonary sweetheart.
"Come along, dear!... Alicia, ask Swindells to wait a minute or two."

"Swindells," Alicia shouted to the original cabman, "just wait a jiff!"

"Yes, miss." The original cabman, being old and accustomed to evening-
party work in the Five Towns, knew the length of a jiff, and got down
from his seat to exercise both arms and legs. With sardonic pleasure he
watched the young cabman cut a black streak in the sodden lawn with his
near front-wheel as he clumsily turned to leave. Then Martha banged the
front door, and another servant appeared in the hall to help the trunk
on its way upstairs.

"No! I shall never be able to tell them!" thought Hilda, following the
trunk.

Alicia had scampered on in front of the trunk, to inform her parents of
the arrival. Mrs. Orgreave, Hilda learnt, was laid up with an attack of
asthma, and Osmond Orgreave was working in their bedroom.

II

Hilda stood in front of the fire in Janet's bedroom, and Janet was
unlocking her trunk.

"Why! What a pretty bodice!" said Janet, opening the trunk. She stood
up, and held forth the bodice to inspect it; and beneath Janet's cloak
Hilda could see the splendour of her evening dress. "Where did you get
it?"

"In London," Hilda was about to answer, but she took thought. "Oh!
Brighton." It was a lie.

She had a longing to say:

"No, not Brighton! What am I thinking of? I got it in London on my
honeymoon!"

What a unique sensation that one word would have caused! But she could
not find courage to utter it.

Alicia came importantly in.

"Mother's love, and you are to go into her room as soon as you're ready.
Martha will bring up a tray for you, and you'll eat there by the fire.
It's all arranged."

"And what about father's love?" Hilda demanded, with a sprightliness
that astonished herself. And