long table. Jean took a small helping and so did Aunt Janet. After a
while Marcella peered into the pot again.

"Shall we finish it up, Aunt?" she asked, and Aunt Janet shrugged her
shoulders.

"To-day or to-morrow, what's the difference? Do you really like it so
much as that?" she added, watching the girl curiously.

"I love it! Bramble jelly and seed cake! What do you think, Aunt? When
I get very old and die, Mrs. Mactavish and Jock's wife will be in heaven
already, brought for the purpose by the Angel Gabriel, and they'll make
bramble jelly and seed cake for the love feast for me!" she said, eating
a spoonful without spreading it on oatcake, encouraged by her aunt's
unwonted extravagance. "I can't be philosophical about bramble jelly!"

Aunt Janet watched the girl as though she could not believe in anything
so sincere as this love of sweet things. Then she said a little sadly:

"There's not a thing on earth that I want or love."

"Because you've ruled yourself out of everything! I love to want things
because always they may be just round the corner. And if they aren't,
there's the fun of thinking they are. And always there's another corner
after the last one. I'd rather _die_ of hungriness than never be
hungry."

"Oh, you'll die of hungriness, I expect. That is, if you're lucky," said
Aunt Janet. "I shall just drop out of life some day."