A Lady in Black by Florence Warden

"And besides, you know, my dear Mrs. Rose, there is generally something wrong about a woman who dresses so very well."

So spoke Mrs. Bonnington, the Vicar's wife, laying down the law; a law indeed, which most English women are ready to take for granted. Mrs. Rose, a tall, thin, pale lady who had "nerves," and who, on this bright April morning, wore a woollen shawl half off her shoulders as she sat in the warm sun by the dining-room window, assented readily.