“I dare say you were right,” acknowledged Miss Fraley, though she could not exactly see the obstacles to her friend’s freedom in such strong light as was expected.

“I know that it must be difficult for you sometimes,” resumed the hostess presently, in a more sympathetic tone.  “Your mother naturally finds it hard to give up the rule.  We can’t expect her to look at life as younger persons do.”

“I don’t expect it,” said poor Miss Fraley appealingly, “and I am sure I try to be considerate; but how would you like it, to be treated as if you were sixteen instead of nearly sixty?  I know it says in the Bible that children should obey their parents, but there is no such commandment, that I can see, to women who are old enough to be grandmothers themselves.  It does make me perfectly miserable to have everything questioned and talked over that I do; but I know I ought not to say such things.  I suppose I shall lie awake half the night grieving over it.  You know I have the greatest respect for mother’s judgment; I’m sure I don’t know what in the world I should do without her.”

“You are too yielding, Eunice,” said Miss Prince kindly.  “You try to please everybody, and that’s your way of pleasing yourself; but, after all, I believe we give everybody more satisfaction when we hold fast to our own ideas of right and wrong.  There have been a great many friends who were more than willing to give me their advice in all these years that I have been living alone; but I have always made up my mind and gone straight ahead.  I have no doubt I should be very impatient now of much comment and talking over; and yet there are so many times when I would give anything to see father or mother for a little while.  I haven’t suffered from living alone as much as some persons do, but I often feel very sad and lonely when I sit here and think about the past.  Dear me! here is Phoebe with the lights, and I dare say it is just as well.  I am going to ask you to go up stairs and see the fresh paint, and how ship-shape we are at last, as father used to say.”

Miss Fraley rose at once, with an expression of pleasure, and the two friends made a leisurely tour of the old house which seemed all ready for a large family, and though its owner apparently enjoyed her freedom and dominion, it all looked deserted and empty to her guest.  They lingered together in the wide lower hall, and parted with unusual affection.  This was by no means the first hint that had been given of a somewhat fettered and disappointing home life, though Miss Fraley would have shuddered at the thought of any such report’s being sent abroad.

“Send the children round to see me,” said Miss Prince, by way of parting benediction.  “They can play in the garden an hour or two, and it will be a change for them and for you;” which invitation was gratefully accepted, though Miss Eunice smiled at the idea of their needing a change, when they were sure to be on every wharf in town in the course of the day, and already knew more people in Dunport than she did.