C., if one young enough could be found,
who was on the direct road to the woolsack.
The evening of this day Bertie Payne came in, as he often did after
dinner. Katherine was always pleased to see him. He brought a breath of
genial life into the rather glacial atmosphere of Miss Payne's
drawing-room. Yet there was something soothing to Katherine in the
orderly quiet of the house, in the conviction, springing from she knew
not what, that Miss Payne liked her heartily in her steady,
undemonstrative fashion. She never interfered with Katherine in any way;
she was ready to go with her when asked, or to let her young guest go on
her own business alone and unquestioned, while she saw to her comfort,
and proved much more companionable than Katherine expected.
On this particular evening which marked a new mental epoch for Katherine
Liddell, the two companions were sitting by the fire in Miss Payne's
comfortable though rather old-fashioned drawing-room, the curtains
drawn, the hearth aglow, Miss Payne engaged on a large piece of
patchwork which she had been employed upon for years, while Katherine
read aloud to her. This was a favorite mode of passing the evening; it
saved the trouble of inventing conversation--for Miss Payne was not
loquacious--and it was more sympathetic than reading to one's self.
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