said he, "how do you feel to-day? Better,
eh? Almost too cold for you to venture out.
You look sadly blue and pinched about the
nose. The rest of you can bundle up-stairs
into the play-room, where you will find Olive
and lots more friends; but Caleb, you must
come with me into the parlour." He had
felt my wrist, looked at my tongue, and
chucked me under the chin by this time. I
followed him with some trepidation. Would
Mrs. Graile notice the piece of flannel round
my neck? I hoped not.

In another moment I was in the presence
of that imposing lady. She was one of the
tallest women I have ever seen, but very spare
and bony; to hide which defects as much
as possible she used to dress in black velvet,
with an amount of padding and an amplitude
of skirt that scandalised the ladies of those
days. Still, the sterile nature of the ground
would show itself here and there—in the bony
knuckles and joints of her fingers, for
instance, which no black silk mits could quite
conceal,—in the protruding shoulder-blades,
in the prominent cheek-bones, and in the
frosty aquiline nose, thrust up like a thin
ridge of slate between the flinty depths of her
eyes. She ruled over the little doctor most
imperiously, a fact observable even to a
child like me. What little individuality he
had ever possessed had been absorbed long
ago in her more powerful nature. But what
could be expected from such a frail, shadowy
little man—from such a flutteringly polite
man, with his thin hair and whiskers of a
weak straw colour, as though they had once
been red, but were having the colour gradually
washed out of them,—with his blue coat
buttoned tightly round his spare person, the
collar invariably sticking out several inches,
as though an invisible hand were clutching
him from behind,—from such a shrill-voiced
piping little man, who, when he had nothing
better to do, would sit by the hour, gently
rubbing the palms of his hands together, as
though he were making imaginary pills?
Mrs. Graile's expectations were evidently of
a limited character. She thought the best
thing that could be done was to keep him
under. Therefore, keep him under she did.

"This is little Caleb Redfern, my dear,"
pushing me gently by the shoulders before
him, as a sort of breast-work, under cover of
which he might approach the enemy in safety.

Mrs. Graile was busily engaged on some
elaborate piece of needlework. She glanced
down severely as her husband spoke.

"Why bring him in here?" she asked,
speaking from among the glaciers, where she
seemed habitually to reside, so chilling was
her voice, so cold and lofty her manner.

"He is not well, my love," said the doctor,
deprecatingly. "I thought he had better sit
by the fire for a few minutes, and warm
himself before going up-stairs. Indeed, I think
a glass of wine would do him good."

"Stuff and nonsense!" said Mrs. Graile,
with severity. " I don't agree with people
coddling up children in such a foolish manner.
I hope you rubbed your feet, little boy, before
coming into the room?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Try to speak up, next time you are asked
a question. Well, sir?" to her husband,
"why don't you find the child a seat? I
understood that you were going to give him
a glass of wine?"

"I thought, my dear—"

"You thought! You are always thinking
instead of doing. Come here, little boy, and
sit down on this hassock at my feet; and
see you don't spill any of your wine on the
carpet."

The doctor, after rolling a few imaginary
pills, sidled out of the room, and I was left
alone with the terrible lady. I drank my
wine drop by drop, glancing timidly upward
every minute or two, but not daring to go
and set down my glass when it was empty.
We sat in silence for some time; only now
and then, to my great dismay, I could not
keep back a little tickling cough, which would
burst out in spite of all my endeavours. Every
time I coughed I felt Mrs. Graile's severe
glance rest on me for a moment, and I
determined not to offend again. The fire was a
large one, and I was soon thoroughly warmed
through, but durst not move from my seat.
Gradually, Mrs. Graile herself seemed to
feel the soothing influence of the fire; for,
after a while, her work dropped languidly on
her knees; her eyes closed, opened, closed
again; her head dropped forward, started
back with a jerk, fell forward again; and
Mrs. Graile was asleep. There could be no
mistake about it; her breathing was too
deep and regular to permit of any doubt on
the point; nevertheless, I sat for a full
quarter of an hour longer before I ventured
to stir, and then on tiptoe only, with my
handkerchief stuffed into my mouth to stifle
the rising cough. Once out of the room, and
the door gently closed, I bounded up-stairs,
and burst into the play-room with all the
eagerness of a prisoner set free.

The room was in an uproar when I entered.
The central figure was my brother Neville,
who was standing with one foot pressed on a
gaily-dressed mannikin, which was bleeding
saw-dust from several severe wounds; his
hands clenched, his eyes flashing, defying
the whole assembly. Near him stood the
pretty little Olive, with pouting lips and
tear-bedewed eyes; and my cousin Philip,
looking on with grave displeasure in his
young face. The rest of the company formed
an outer circle that took care not to
approach the bellicose Neville too closely.

"It is mine, I repeat! " said Neville,
passionately, as I opened the door. "She gave
it me, herself, not half an hour ago."

"I gave it you to keep; not to pull to
pieces," pouted Olive.

"You gave it me to keep, so I could do