All she had seen and heard whilst with her brother had an effect upon her in the afterthought, and her mother's abrupt surrender into her hands of the household control gave her, when she had time to realise it, a sense of increased importance not at all disagreeable.

Already she had hired a capable servant in addition to the scrubby maid-of-all-work who had sufficed for Mrs.Mutimer, and it was her intention that henceforth domestic arrangements should be established on quite another basis.
'I'll telegraph to Dick,' she said, presently.

'I've no doubt he'll see that everything's done properly.' 'But won't he come himself ?' 'We shall see.' 'Is your mother in ?' 'She's not very well; I don't think I must disturb her with bad news.
Tell Emma I'm very sorry, will you?
I do hope she isn't going to be ill.
You must see that she gets rest now.

Was it sudden ?' she added, showing in her face how little disposed she was to dwell on such gloomy subjects as death and burial.
'She was wandering all yesterday.

I don't think she knew anything after eight o'clock last night.