Aunt Mary quitted the train with a dignity which was sufficiently overpowering to counteract the effect of her bonnet’s being somewhat awry. She greeted Joshua with a chill perfunctoriness that was indescribable, and her glance glided completely over Lucinda and faded away in the open country on the further side of her. Lucinda did not care. Lucinda was of a hardy stock and stormy glances neither bent nor broke her spirit. “I’m glad to see you come back looking so well,” she screamed, when Aunt Mary was in and they were off. Aunt Mary raised her eyebrows in a manner that appeared a trifle indignant, and riveted her gaze on the hindquarters of the horse. “I thought it was more like heaven myself,” she said coldly. “Not that your opinion matters any to me, Lucinda.” Then she leaned forward and poked the driver. “Joshua!” she said. Joshua jumped in his seat at the asperity of her poke and her tone. “What is it?” he said hastily. “Jus’ ’s soon as we get home I want you to take the saw—that little, sharp one, you know—and dock Billy’s tail. Cut it off as close as you can; do you hear?” “I hear,” was the startled answer. “Did you have a good time?” Lucinda had the temerity to ask, after a minute. “I guess I could if I tried,” the lady replied; “but I’m too tired to try now.” “How did you leave Mr. Jack?” “I couldn’t stay forever, could I?” asked the traveler impatiently. “I thought that a week was long enough for the first time, anyhow.” Lucinda subsided and the rest of the drive was taken in silence. When they reached the house Aunt Mary enveloped everything in one glance of blended weariness, scorn and contempt, and then made short work of getting to bed, where she slept the luxurious and dreamless sleep of the unjust until late that afternoon. “My, but she’s come back a terror!” Lucinda cried to Joshua in a high whisper when he brought in the trunk. “She looks like nothin’ was goin’ to be good enough for her from now on.” “Nothin’ ain’t goin’ to be good enough for her,” said Joshua calmly. “What are we goin’ to do, then?” asked Lucinda. “We’ll have enough to do,” said Joshua, in a tone that was portentous in the extreme, and then he placed the trunk in its proper position for unpacking and went away, leaving Lucinda to unpack it. Aunt Mary awoke just as the faithful servant was unrolling the green plaid waist, and the instant that she spoke it was plain that her attitude toward life in general was become strangely and vigorously changed, and that for Lucinda the rack was to be newly oiled and freshly racking. This attitude was not in any degree altered by the unexpected arrival of Arethusa that evening. Strange tales had reached Arethusa’s ears, and she had flown on the wings of steam and coal dust to see what under the sun it all meant. Aunt Mary was not one bit rejoiced to see her and the glare which she directed over the edge of the counterpane bore testimony to the truth of this statement.