264 STRAY -AW AYS 



as hostess blotted out minor considerations. She had, 

 in honour of her guest, scrubbed the kitchen table to 

 an almost unwholesome whiteness, black-leaded the 

 range, and decorated the edges of the shelves with 

 newspaper cut in a pattern; even the tabby kitten 

 had not escaped the sweep of the broom, and had 

 retired with the cold displeasure of its kind to the 

 dining-room sofa, there to spend the afternoon among 

 its bleakly buxom eminences of American leather. 

 Mrs. McKenzie's best Britannia metal teapot lent 

 its cloudy brilliance to the occasion, so also did various 

 articles of wearing apparel, borrowed from the ward- 

 robes of the Misses McKenzie, and disposed upon the 

 person of Miss Byrne. 



Mrs. Nolan was effusive in approbation of all things, 

 spasmodically effusive, a more critical observer 

 might have thought. She sat down and passed a 

 handkerchief over her face, though the evening was 

 cool, with the dust of coming rain rising before a 

 rough breeze. 



" Poor Devine !." she said, swallowing a mouthful 

 of tea with a gulp, " he was in a real way when he 

 found he was ordered off for a week to paint the new 

 hotel at Howth. He'd have been sure to come with 

 me only for that." 



" Oh, I'm sure ! " replied Kate in would-be sar- 

 casm, her large cheek purpling, and her utterance 

 cloaked by bread and butter. 



" You nmstn't treat that young man bad," went on 

 Mrs. Nolan, her sunken black eyes taking in everything 

 round her as she talked ; " I never saw him so fond of a 

 girl, and I've known him years." 



" Oh, indeed, I daresay he's been *fond of plenty," 

 said poor Kate, instantly tasting the bitter in the 

 honey. 



Mrs. Nolan looked at her with a strange, fixed 



