husband. They are old friends of Jim's--and mine."

"Seems to have a good eye for dirt," said Aunt Selina and went on
fastening her brooch. When she was finally ready, she took a bead
purse from somewhere about her waist and took out a half dollar.
She held it up before Hannah's eyes.

"Tomorrow morning," she said sternly, "You take off that white
cap and that fol-de-rol apron and that black henrietta cloth, and
put on a calico wrapper. And when you've got this room aired and
swept, Mrs. Wilson will give you this."

Hannah took two steps back and caught hold of a chair; she stared
helplessly from Aunt Selina to the half dollar, and then at me.
Anne was trying not to catch my eye.

"And another thing," Aunt Selina said, from the head of the
stairs, "I sent those towels over from Ireland. Tell her to wash
and bleach the one Mrs. What's-her-name Brown used as a duster."

Anne was quite crushed as we went down the stairs. I turned once,
half-way down, and her face was a curious mixture of guilt and
hopeless wrath. Over her shoulder, I could see Hannah, wide-eyed
and puzzled, staring after us.

Jim presented everybody, and then he went into the den and closed
the door and we heard him unlock the cellarette. Aunt Selina
looked at Leila's bare shoulders and said she guessed she didn't
take cold easily, and conversation rather languished. Max Reed
was looking like a thundercloud, and he came over to me with a