first
symptom of ill health is jealously watched for and triumphantly hailed
by those whose mission in life it is to say, "I told you so."

Mrs. Alwynn, whose own complaints were of so slight a nature that they
had to be constantly referred to to give them any importance at all, was
not likely to notice that Ruth's naturally pale complexion had become
several degrees too pale during the last two days, or that she had dark
rings under her eyes. Besides, only the day before, had not Mrs. Alwynn,
in cutting out a child's shirt, cut out at the same time her best
drawing-room table-cloth as well, which calamity had naturally driven
out of her mind every other subject for the time?

Ruth had proved unsympathetic, and Mrs. Alwynn had felt her to be so.
The next day, also, when Mrs. Alwynn had begun to talk over what she
and Ruth were to wear that evening at a dinner-party at Slumberleigh
Hall, Ruth had again shown a decided want of interest, and was not even
to be roused by the various conjectures of her aunt, though repeated
over and over again, as to who would most probably take her in to
dinner, who would be assigned to Mr. Alwynn, and whether Ruth would be
taken in by a married man or a single one. As it was quite impossible
absolutely to settle these interesting points beforehand, Mrs. Alwynn's
mind had a vast field for conjecture opened to her, in which she
disported herself at will, varying the entertainment for herself and
Ruth by speculating as to who would sit on the other side of each of
them; "for," as she justly observed, "everybody has two sides, my dear;
and though, for my part, I can talk to anybody--Members of Parliament,
or bishops, or any one--still it is difficult for a young person, and if
you feel dull, Ruth, you can always turn to the person on the other side
with some easy little remark."

Ruth rose and went to the window. It had rained all yesterday; it had
been raining all the morning to-day, but it was fair now; nay, the sun
was sending out long burnished shafts from the broken gray and blue of
the sky. She was possessed by an unreasoning longing to get out of the
house into the open air--anywhere, no matter where, beyond the reach of
Mrs. Alwynn's voice. She had been fairly patient with her for many
months, but during these two last wet days, a sense of sudden miserable
irritation would seize her on the slightest provocation, which filled
her with remorse and compunction, but into which she would