Reminiscences of the school-feast still remained in it, in the shape of ends of ribbon and lace, and Mrs.Alwynn began to empty them out, talking all the time, when she suddenly stopped short, with an exclamation of surprise.
"Goodness! Well, now! I'm sure! Ruth!" "What is it, Aunt Fanny ?" "Why, my dear, if there isn't a letter for you under the odds and ends," holding it up and gazing resentfully at it; "and now I remember, a letter came for you on the morning of the school-feast, and I said to John, 'I sha'n't forward it, because I shall see Ruth this afternoon,' and, dear me! I just popped it into the basket, for I thought you would like to have it, and you know how busy I was, Ruth, that day, first one thing and then another, so much to think of--and--_there it is_." "I dare say it is of no importance," said Ruth, taking it from her, while Mrs.Alwynn, repeatedly wondering how such a thing could have happened to a person so careful as herself, went off with her basket to the cook.
When she returned in a few minutes she found Ruth standing by the window, the letter open in her hand, her face without a vestige of color.
"Why, Ruth," she said, actually noticing the alteration in her appearance, "is your head bad again ?" Ruth started violently.
"Yes--no.

I mean--I think I will go out.

The fresh air--" She could not finish the sentence.
"And that tiresome letter--did it want an answer ?" "None," said Ruth, crushing it up unconsciously.
"Well, now," said Mrs.Alwynn, "that's a good thing, for I'm sure I shall never forget the way your uncle was in once, when I put a letter of his in my pocket to give him (it was a plum-colored silk, Ruth, done with gold beads in front), and then I went into mourning for my poor dear Uncle James--such an out-of-the-common person he was, Ruth, and such a beautiful talker--and it was not till six months later--niece's mourning, you know--that I had the dress on again--and a business I had to meet it, for all my gowns seem to shrink when they are put by--and I put my hand in the pocket, and--" But Ruth had disappeared.
Mrs.Alwynn was perfectly certain at last that something must be wrong with her niece.

Earlier in the day she had had a headache.

Reasoning by analogy, she decided that Ruth must have eaten something at Mrs.
Thursby's dinner-party which had disagreed with her.