"
The old lady's hands dropped from her bonnet-strings to her lap.
"Left Mrs. Brinkly!" she exclaimed. "And where have they gone?"
"To Cobhurst, where they will board for a while, during the hot weather.
They found it very close and uncomfortable in that part of the town, with
the mercury in the eighties."
Miss Panney sat up tall and straight. Her eyes grew bigger and blacker as
with her mental vision she glared upon the situation. Presently she
spoke, and her voice sounded as if she were in a great empty cask, with
her mouth at the bunghole.
"Who did this?" she asked.
Mrs. Tolbridge was glad to talk; it suited her much better at this time
to do the talking than for her companion to do it, and she proceeded
quite volubly.
"Oh, we all thought the change would be an excellent thing for them,
especially for Mrs. Drane, who is not strong; and as they had seen
Cobhurst and were charmed with the place, and as the Haverleys were quite
willing to take them for a little while, it seemed an excellent thing all
round. It was, however, our cook, La Fleur, who was the chief mover in
the matter.
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