"No milk, please—I'm not allowed a drop of lactic matter just yet."
"You know, what I think is so queer about Mary," continued Ursula from the sofa, "is that she always seems so awfully pleased with herself. Of course I'm very fond of Mary, mind you, and I wouldn't say a word against her; but you know she really did sometimes seem to think she was God Almighty in that village, and I'm sure she was never quite as considerate to John as she might have been. Though there are some people, of course, who just aren't capable of deep feeling."
"Well, this must be rather a shock to her," murmured Anne timidly. "I'm sure she must be very fond of Anderby. It's such a pretty home."
"Oh, I don't know. Women with that rather domineering temperament love a fight, don't they? And then it won't do her any harm really, just seeing that every one isn't ready to lick her boots. It's poor John I'm so sorry for."
The teapot arrived on a silver tray carried by a starched maid, and the ladies put aside their work, and turned their attention to tarts and bread and butter.
"Well, I don't think it would do Mary any harm to hear a little advice——" began Ursula, when the door opened again and Mary walked in.
There was a sudden silence.
"I saw when I passed the window that Millie was helping in the room, so I just came straight in," she said, drawing off her gloves and coming forward to Sarah. "John's up the garden with Tom, Sarah. They'll probably like a bit of talk together. I'm glad I've just come in time for tea."
She took her cup and sat down beside Louisa in the big arm-chair left vacant for Sarah. She did not know that it was Sarah's chair. She did not know anything except that it was a relief to sit in this comfortable room where life was shaken by such small emotions and crises passed like the ripples made by a draught across the tea-cups.
She stirred the hot fragrant tea and selected with pleasure an iced cake from the dish Louisa passed her. Every one seemed very silent. That was nice. She had talked so much lately. There was too much talking down at Anderby.