Miss Yard said nothing for a few moments. She stared at the mummy, then at the grandfather clock, which was no longer in working order; and presently her poor old face began to twitch and tears rolled down her cheeks. She tried to rise, but Kezia restrained her with kindly hands, saying, "Don't worry, miss. Sidney is a very nice young man, and I'm sure Nellie couldn't do much better." "She never told me," sobbed Miss Yard. "Perhaps she did, but you know you don't remember anything," said Mrs. Drake soothingly. "My memory is as good as yours. I can remember you eating a lot of chocolate on your fifth birthday, and being suddenly sick in the fender. Nellie has run away and got married--and I never gave her a wedding present--and I can't get on without her. You know, Maria, I never did like that fat woman at the post office." "What has she got to do with Nellie?" "You told me Nellie had to marry the man because the post office failed--and that woman opens my letters and reads them." "Call Nellie and tell her to put Miss Sophy to bed," ordered Mrs. Drake. "The young man's waiting outside," Kezia reminded her. "Ask him in, and give him a cup of coffee. And, when she has gone to bed, tell him to come in here. I want to see what he is like. Get Nellie, quick!" cried the lady; for Miss Yard had got away from her chair and was knocking things over. Nellie appeared in full flower, to scold her mistress for not remaining dormant until her usual bedtime; but on this occasion Miss Yard rebelled against discipline. "You have deceived me," she said bitterly. "You have been a little viper. Everybody in this house deceives me, and keeps things from me, except George. He is the only gentleman here. He's the only one who knows how to behave properly. When I hit my head upon the door, he was sorry for me; but you laughed, and my sister laughed, and everybody's laughing now except George. He knows how hard it is to walk out of a room without hurting yourself." "It's so easy to laugh somehow," said Nellie. "Why did you marry the postman without telling me?" "I have not married the postman, and I'm not thinking of getting married; and what's more I won't marry while I have you to look after," Nellie promised. "But you went out and got lost, and some man found you, and they all say you married him." "There wasn't time," said Nellie. "Now come away to bed, and we'll talk about it in the morning." "I hope we shall be able to forget all the malice and wickedness. Maria, do let us try to begin all over again," said Miss Yard earnestly. "This evil speaking and slandering is so dreadful. You tried to take away poor Nellie's character; you heard Kezia say she was a regular bad girl; and that horrid Bessie, who will _not_ stop growing, said it was because the woman at the post office couldn't sell her stamps, and then the postman tempted her to run off with him." "But he didn't succeed," said the laughing girl, as she conveyed Miss Yard towards the stairs.