Dolores could not understand how a dog's pleasure could be preferred to
her comfort, and felt a good deal hurt, though Basto's antics subsided
as soon as they were past the inner gate shutting in the garden from
the paddock, which was let out to a farmer. Mysie, however, ran on as
usual with her stream of information--

'The Miss Hacket were sister or daughters or something to some old man
who used to be clergyman here, and they are all married up but these
two, and they've got the dearest little house you ever saw. They had a
nephew in the 111th, and so they came and called on us at once. Miss
Hacket is a regular old dear, but we none of us can bear Miss
Constance, except that mamma says we ought to be sorry for her because
she leads such a confined life. Miss Hacket and Aunt Jane always do go
on so about the G.F.S. They both are branch secretaries, you know.'

'I know! Aunt Jane did bother Mrs. Sefton so that she says she will
never have another of those G.F.S. girls. She says it is a society for
interference.'

'Mamma likes it,' said Mysie.

'Oh! but she is only just come.'

'Yes; but she always looked after the school children at Beechcroft
before she married, and she and Alethea and Phyllis had the soldiers'
children up on Sunday. Alethea taught the little drummer boys, and
they were so funny. I wonder who teaches them now! Gill always goes
down to help Miss Hacket with her G.F.S. classes. She has one on
Sunday afternoon, and one on Tuesday for sewing, and she is the only
young lady in the place who can do plain needlework properly.'