"One evening--some months after my ramble round the manor--the maids went out to tea, and I lay in peaceful silence watching the shadows which crept noiselessly about the room as the fire blazed, and wishing Sarah and her colleagues nothing less than a month of uninterrupted tea-parties. I was almost asleep when Aunt Harriet came into the room. She brought a candle, put up my screen (the red screen again!), and went to the work-table. She had not been rustling with the work things for many minutes when my grandmother followed her, and shut the door with an air which seemed to promise a long stay. She also gave a shove to my screen, and then the following conversation began: "'I have been to Lady Sutfield's to-day, Harriet.' "'Indeed, ma'am.' But my aunt respectfully continued her work, as I could hear by the scraping of the scissors along the table. "'I heard some news there. The manor is let.' "I almost jumped in my bed, and Aunt Harriet's scissors paused. "'Let, ma'am! To whom!' "'To a Mrs. Moss. You must have heard me speak of her. I knew her years ago, when we were both young women. Anastatia Eden, she was then.' "I could hear my aunt move to the fire, and sit down. "'The beautiful Miss Eden? Whom did she marry at last? Was there not some love-affair of hers that you knew about?' "'Her love-affairs were endless. But you mean Mr. Sandford. She treated him very ill--very ill.' "There was a pause, while the fire crackled in the silence; and then, to the infinite satisfaction of my curiosity, Aunt Harriet said: "'I've forgotten the story, ma'am. He was poor, was he not?' "'He had quite enough to marry on,' my grandmother answered, energetically; 'but he was not a great match. It was an old story, my dear. The world! The world! The world! I remember sitting up with Anastatia after a ball, where he had been at her side all the evening. We sipped hot posset, and talked of our partners. Ah, dear!' and here my grandmother heaved a sigh; partly, perhaps, because of the follies of youth, and partly, perhaps, because youth had gone, and could come back no more.