ss--you
wouldn't wash?"

"Rip van Winkle washed," said Gwen.

"Because Washington Irving chose. I sometimes imagine Rip isn't really
true. Anyhow, his case doesn't apply. _He_ remembered everything as if
it was yesterday. For him, it _was_ yesterday. So he was the same man,
both in theory and practice. Jack and Jim and Polly were to forget, by
hypothesis."

"Does old Mrs. Picture?" asked Irene.

"I should say--very little," said Gwen. "Less now than when I took her
first to Cavendish Square. She'll get very communicative, I've no doubt,
if she's fed up, in the country air. I shall see to that myself. So Mrs.
Masham had better look out."

"There's mamma!" said Irene suddenly. "I'll go and see that she gets her
writing things.... No--don't you move! She won't come in here. She wants
to write important letters. You sit still." And Irene went off to
intercept the Miss Abercrombie her father had married all those years
ago instead of Gwen's mother. She does not come much into this story,
but its reader may be interested to know that she was an enthusiastic
Abolitionist, and a friend of the Duchess of Sutherland. There was only
one thing in those days that called for abolition--negro slavery in
America; so everyone who recollects the fifties will know what an
Abolitionist was. Nevertheless, though Lady Torrens happens to keep
outside the story, it would have been quite another story without her.

Adrian was a good son, and loved his mother duly. She returned his
affection, but could not stand his poetical effusions, which she thought
showed an irreverent spirit. We are not quite sure they did not.

CHAPTER III

HOW AN OLD LADY WAS TAKEN FOR A DRIVE, AND SAW JONES'S BULL, ALL IN
A DREAM. STRIDES COTTAGE AND A STRANGE CONTIGUITY. AFTER SIXTY
YEARS! HOW TOBY SMASHED A PANE OF GLASS WITH A HORSE-CHESTNUT, AND
NEARLY HAD NO SUGAR IN HIS BREAD-AND-MILK. HOW THE OLD BODY
CURTSIED AND THE OLD SOUL DIDN'T GO TO SLEEP. HOW GWEN NEARLY
FORGOT TO INTRODUCE THEM. HOW MRS. PICTURE KNOCKED UP AND RAN
DOWN,--BUT WOULD NOT HAVE MUTTON BROTH. BUT NEITHER KNEW! HOW MRS.
PICTURE THOUGHT MRS. MARRABLE A NICE PERSON. HOW GWEN LUNCHED WITH
HER PARENTS. "REALLY, OUR DAUGHTER!" HOW LOOKING AMUSED DOES NO
GOOD. WAS GWEN JONES'S BULL, OR HOW? NORBURY AS AN ORACLE. HOW THE
EARL WENT ROUND TO SEE THE FAIRY GODMOTHER

It had all come on the old woman like a bewildering dream. It beg