You see," Mr.Pyecroft unhesitatingly went on in a low, compassionate tone, "our sister, while trying to light a gasoline stove--It was a gasoline stove, was it not, Matilda ?" "Ah--er--ye-yes," corroborated Matilda.
"A gasoline stove, yes," continued the grave voice of Mr.Pyecroft.
"It was during the very first year after her marriage.

The explosion that followed disfigured her face frightfully.

She is extremely sensitive; so much so that she invariably wears a heavy veil when she goes out of her own house." "Why, how terrible!" cried Mary.
"Yes, isn't it! All of our family have felt for poor Angelica most deeply.

And furthermore, she is sensitive about her deafness--which, I may add, was caused by the same accident.

And her various misfortunes have made her extremely shy, so the less attention that is paid to her, the happier the poor creature is." Mary withdrew among the others.