me some fresh tea. In the library."

She swept past the bewildered servant and disappeared.

The mills of God were off.

* * * * *

Twenty-four hours had gone by.

All this time the mills had been grinding steadily, and the grain,
which had been awaiting their pleasure for exactly one calendar month,
was beginning to disappear. After a while Valerie had come to realize
that her pride was to be reduced to powder, and that there was nothing
for it but to submit to the process with the best grace she could. Not
every woman would have reasoned so wisely: few would have given to
their decision such faithful effect. You will please remember that any
reduction of her pride seemed to Valerie extraordinarily unjust. That
there was stuff other than pride in the grist never occurred to her.

It was the evening, then, of the day after the accident, and the two
girls were alone in the pleasant bedroom whither Anne had been carried
the day before, and where she was like to spend the next six weeks of
her existence. The patient was wearing one of Valerie's night-gowns
and looking very nice in it. She was also smoking one of Valerie's
cigarettes, and, so resilient is youth, chattering merrily between the
puffs.

"Lady Touchstone was wonderful. She knew my leg was broken before I
did. Almost before I knew where I was, she had my head in her lap and
was telling me to lie quite still and hang on to her hand for all I was
worth. 'You'll find it a great help,' she said. 'I know I did. And
if you know any bad words, say them.' For all the pain, I couldn't
help laughing. And then she told me how she'd broken her leg in the
hunting field, and the vicar was the first to get to her, and how she
hung on to him and made him feed her with bad language till help
arrived. And, when I tried to say I was sorry, she said the butler
deserved six months for not having the steps sanded, and asked me, if
you and she tried to make me comfortable while I was your guest, if I'd
try to forgive you...."

"That's the only possible way to look at it," said Valerie. "It's all
our servants' fault, and we're only too thankful to be able----"

"You're very sweet," said Anne wistfully. "But to be saddled with me
for six weeks----"

"Hush!" said Valerie, with a grave smile. "You promised not to talk
like that."

Anne Alison sighed.

"It is unfortunate, though," she said. "I can't think what they'll do
at The S