blanket of light on the parlor floor. She doesn't shatter the light though. "Here comes the Doctor with your guest. I'll answer the door." "Good afternoon, Hanna. How's our girl today?" I hope Hanna doesn't tell him I've been sitting on the stairs again; he wouldn't like it, father didn't -- "You can't know how good it is to have company in this old house again, and to see Miss Alice all dressed up. She does look like her mother used to look. She's wearing one of her mother's dresses; she doesn't have a party dress of her own." "That's fine, Hanna." "Will you please excuse me gentlemen; I've just left the wood and things for the fire by the door, Doctor." "Certainly Hanna. Where is Alice?" "Good afternoon, Doctor. How are you this afternoon?" "Fine, Alice. How's the hostess?" Hostess? No one has ever called me a hostess before, that's what, they used to call mother. Father used to say she was a good hostess; she didn't like being a hostess. "Alice?" "What? Oh, I'm sorry, Doctor, I was just thinking." "You remember Mr. Johnson, don't you Alice? We met him on our first walk around the mal. Mr. Johnson wants to be your friend, too." Mr. Johnson has eyes like a hungry cat -- like all the guests. "Come down from those stairs, won't you Alice?" "Oh, yes, of course." I forgot I was still on those stairs--I didn't want him to see me; father was angry when I sat on the stairs. The sun isn't 26 shining on the parlor floor anymore. It must have gone behind the clouds. Now it's coming out; the light patches from the windows are beginning to spread across the floor like water seeping to its own level. "I was telling Mr. Johnson of the fine progress you've made. I was telling him about--" The sun doesn't strike the table anymore; this is mother's chair -- "Thank you, Doctor." I can look right past them and out into the hall. I've never looked out into the hall and up the Stairs before. I see why no one could see me on the stairs behind the posts; Father couldn't see-- "Wouldn't you say so, Alice?" "What? Oh, yes, yes. "Mother always said yes; Father didn't like her to disagree. The sun must still be behind the clouds, the parlor is such a dull light. The fire is glinting, but the walls are flat and dull without the candles. It isn't right to have a party without the candles; Mother wanted candles. "Cream or sugar, Mr. Johnson?" "Both, please." I hope I don't spill this; Mother didn't like to serve tea, she was always so afraid she'd spill; she never did, though, except --- "Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Johnson. I didn't mean to --- I'm so sorry." "That's all right, Alice. It will dry soon." "Would you gentlemen excuse me for a moment. I'll have to get some more tea." This hall has always seemed so long. I can stop at the mirror on the other side of the stairs and straighten my hair. Mother put that mirror up so that she ---the sun must be nearly down; it doesn't even strike the mirror anymore, it just glints off the edge of the frame. Strange, it strikes the carved gold frame and almost shatters it; it doesn't blanket everything anymore; not it shatters the gold, like--candle flames. 27