"Mad as a hatter," Sir Anthony used to say, and, never
having met the lady, I agreed with him. She loathed her sister,
she detested Anthony, and she appeared to be coldly indifferent to
the fact of the existence of her nephew Oswald. But for Althea,
and for Althea alone, she entertained a curious, indulgent
affection, and every now and then Althea went to spend a week or
so in Galloway, where she contrived to obtain considerable
amusement. Aunt Maria did both herself and her visitors very well,
said Althea, who had an appreciative eye for the material
blessings of life. Althea walked over the moors and fished and
took Aunt Maria's cars out for exercise and, except whistle on the
Sabbath, seemed to do exactly what she liked.
Now, in January 1914, Althea announced to her parents that Aunt
Maria had summoned her for a week to Galloway. Sir Anthony stuffed
her handbag with five-pound notes, and at an early hour of the
morning sent her up in the car to London in charge of the
chauffeur. The chauffeur returned saying that he had bought Miss
Althea's ticket at Euston and seen her start off comfortably on
her journey. A letter or two had been received by the Fenimores
from Galloway, and letters they had written to Galloway had been
acknowledged by Althea.
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