ternoon a
few days after the beginning of her engagement she met Jimmy
Clynesworth.

CHAPTER XII

SYBIL

Miss Clynesworth was considerably the oldest member of the group
(consisting of the Favershams, the Drivers and the Clynesworths) with
which this episode in Bridget Rosser's life is concerned.

She was, in fact, more than forty years of age, and even in her
adolescence she had never been beautiful. On the other hand, her face
wore too amiable an expression to be considered very plain, and there
was an almost captivating quaintness in the old-fashioned figure she
presented. She seldom added to her wardrobe unless Jimmy bantered her
into it and gave her a cheque which, as a matter of honour, was to be
used for that especial purpose. Even then Sybil sometimes ventured to
deceive him.

Short, although not quite so short as Carrissima, she had a thickset
but flat figure, and a conscientious objection to make her
drabbish-coloured hair appear more plentiful than it was.

Her skin was rather florid, her light blue eyes were prominent, her
features being the only part of her with any approach to boldness. A
kind of amateur ministering angel, she was often appealed to--and never
in vain--by those in illness or affliction. Sybil Clynesworth was one
of the women (not so rare as might be imagined in these days) into
whose calculations the idea of marriage had seldom or never entered.
Perhaps her powerful maternal instinct had been diffused from her youth
up, and she regarded all who were in bodily or spiritual need as her
children. It will be seen that she had a large family!

It seems probable that Sybil's charitable inclinations were inherited
from her father and Jimmy's; since this half-brother of hers might be
said to share them in a secret, shamefaced way. But with the
difference that while the one took life with profound seriousness, the
other appeared to look upon it as a huge jest.

Without Jimmy, however, Sybil's hands would have been tied. Whilst
disagreeing entirely with his opinions, disapproving of many of his
actions, she never scrupled to avail herself of his munificence,
failing which her occupation would have gone. Above everything, Sybil
desired to see Jimmy take his proper place in the country. He ought
certainly to enter the House of Commons, and, in fact, to do a great
many things which he persisted in leaving undone; above all, perhaps,
he ought to marry Carrissima.

"I wish," s