That afternoon the Armstrongs' housekeeper, a youngish good-
looking woman, applied for Mrs. Ralston's place, and I was glad
enough to take her. She looked as though she might be equal to a
dozen of Liddy, with her snapping black eyes and heavy jaw. Her
name was Anne Watson, and I dined that evening for the first time
in three days.



CHAPTER III

MR. JOHN BAILEY APPEARS

I had dinner served in the breakfast-room. Somehow the huge
dining-room depressed me, and Thomas, cheerful enough all day,
allowed his spirits to go down with the sun. He had a habit of
watching the corners of the room, left shadowy by the candles on
the table, and altogether it was not a festive meal.

Dinner over I went into the living-room. I had three hours
before the children could possibly arrive, and I got out my
knitting. I had brought along two dozen pairs of slipper soles
in assorted sizes--I always send knitted slippers to the Old
Ladies' Home at Christmas--and now I sorted over the wools with a
grim determination not to think about the night before. But my
mind was not on my work: at the end of a half-hour I found I had
put a row of blue scallops on Eliza Klinefelter's lavender
slippers, and I put them away.