one of the assistants could "relieve" him in the shop. Before
starting out to visit her elder sister at Axe, Mrs. Baines had
insisted to Mr. Povey that he had eaten practically nothing but
"slops" for twenty-four hours, and that if he was not careful she
would have him on her hands. He had replied in his quietest, most
sagacious, matter-of-fact tone--the tone that carried weight with
all who heard it--that he had only been waiting for Thursday
afternoon, and should of course go instantly to Oulsnams' and have
the thing attended to in a proper manner. He had even added that
persons who put off going to the dentist's were simply sowing
trouble for themselves.

None could possibly have guessed that Mr. Povey was afraid of
going to the dentist's. But such was the case. He had not dared to
set forth. The paragon of commonsense, pictured by most people as
being somehow unliable to human frailties, could not yet screw
himself up to the point of ringing a dentist's door-bell.

"He did look funny," said Sophia. "I wonder what he thought. I
couldn't help laughing!"

Constance made no answer; but when Sophia had resumed her own
clothes, and it was ascertained beyond doubt that the new dress
had not suffered, and Constance herself was calmly stitching
again, she said, poising her needle as she had poised it to watch
Sophia:

"I was just wondering whether something oughtn't to be done for
Mr. Povey."