Cousin Ethel looked at the wedding-dress, scrutinized the white gloves, told Lily to drink a glass of hot milk so that she might sleep, and then began to wander aimlessly round Lily's bedroom, straightening small pieces of furniture with a confused and absent air.
"Everything is absolutely ready, I think, and Dorothy and I will be round in good time to help you dress. You—you're all right, dear?"
"Yes, thank you, Cousin Ethel. I'm so tired I believe I shall go to sleep at once."
"That's right. Try and not think about anything, but just go off to sleep."
Cousin Ethel seemed to hesitate, picked up a packet of labels and put it down again, and said rather hoarsely:
"You mustn't be nervous, my dear. Poor little thing—I wish you had your mother. But it'll be quite all right really, you know."
Mrs. Hardinge gazed at her with an apprehensive look.
"You've lived in the country all your life, after all. You—you know——Well, dear," said Mrs. Hardinge in a sudden burst of courage, "after all—you've seen the animals."
The expression was perhaps infelicitous.
Lily, terrified and over-tired, began uncontrollably to cry.