Still there was no response upon the enigmatic old face by the fireside. "_Jane_!" She turned slightly towards the voice. "Get them photos from upstairs to show John," he bawled. "What about boats?" she said. "_Photos_!" roared her husband. "Coats?" she quavered. Mary looked from one to the other. The man made a gesture of irritation and went from the room. He came back with a pile of picture postcards in his hand. "It's quicker to do a thing oneself," he grumbled. "They're what my brother sent from Switzerland, where he's working now. It's a fine land, to judge from the views of it." John took them from his hand. "She gets worse?" he said nodding towards the old woman. She was sitting gazing at the fire, her lips curved into the curious smile. Her husband shrugged his shoulders. "Aye. She's nigh as bad as her mother was." "And her grandmother." "Aye. It takes longer to tell her to do something than to do it myself. And deaf folks get a bit stupid, too. Can't see what you mean. They're best let alone." The other man nodded and lit his pipe. Then James opened the door. "The snow's stopped," he said. "Shall we go to the end of the village and back?" The other nodded, and took his cap from behind the door. A gust of cold air filled the room as they went out. Mary took a paper-backed book from the table and came over to the fireplace. "Mary!" She started. It was not the sharp, querulous voice of the deaf old woman, it was more like the voice of the young aunt whom Mary remembered in childhood. The old woman was leaning forward, looking at her intently. "Mary! A happy Christmas to 'ee." And, as if in spite of herself, Mary answered in her ordinary low tones. "The same to you, auntie." "Thank 'ee. Thank 'ee." Mary gasped. "Aunt! Can you hear me speaking like this?" The old woman laughed, silently, rocking to and fro in her chair as if with pent-up merriment of years. "Yes, I can hear 'ee, child. I've allus heard 'ee." Mary clasped her hand eagerly. "Then--you're cured, Aunt--" "Ay. I'm cured as far as there was ever anything to be cured." "You--?" "I was never deaf, child, nor never will be, please God. I've took you all in fine." Mary stood up in bewilderment. "You? Never deaf?" The old woman chuckled again. "No, nor my mother--nor her mother neither." Mary shrank back from her. "I--I don't know what you mean," she said, unsteadily. "Have you been--pretending?"