mind."

"I will."

"Then I'll ask thy father again, to take thee with him to London—if he goes himsen—if he does not go at all, then——"

"I must find out some other way, and really the most straightforward way would be to marry Harry Bradley, and go to London with him as a wedding trip."

"Thou must stop talking nonsense or else it will stop my talking one word for thy wish."

"I was just joking, mother."

"Always keep everything straight between thysen and thy mother. The first deception between me and thee opens the gates of Danger."

"I will never forget that, mother. And if I should go away I ask you to take my place with Faith Foster, who is making clothing for the poor in the village."

"Well, Katherine, what with one thing and what with another, I doan't know what tha wants. Does tha know thysen?"

"Well, I think it would look better if the Hall should trouble itself a little about the suffering in the village. Faith Foster is the only person doing anything. I was helping her, but——"

"I should think thou would have told thysen that it was varry forrard in a young person putting herself in my place without even a word to me on the matter. She ought to hev come and told me what was needed and offered her help to me. Thy father is Lord of the Manor of Annis, and it is his business to see the naked clothed. I wonder at thee letting any one take my place and then asking me to help and do service for them. That is a bit beyond civility, I think."

"It was very thoughtless. I am sorry I did it. I was so touched by Faith's description of the hunger and nakedness in Abram Oddy's family, that I thought of nothing but how to relieve it."

"Well, well! It is all right, someway or other. I see father coming towards the house. I wonder what he is wanting."

"And he is walking so rapidly and looks so happy, something must have pleased him. I will go away, mother. This may be a good hour for our request."

"Why our?"

Katherine had disappeared. She left the room by one door as the squire entered by the other. Madam rose to meet him but before she could speak the squire had kissed her and was saying in glad eager tones, "I hev hurried a bit, my Joy, to tell thee that both thysen and Katherine can go wi' me to London. I had a lump of good fortune this afternoon. Mark Clitheroe sent me the thousand pounds he owed, when he broke up five years ago. He told me he wouldn't die till he had paid it; and I believed him. The money came to-day and it came with a letter that does us both credit."

"However has Clitheroe made a thousand pounds to spare since his smash-up? Thou said, it wer a varry complete ruin."

"It was all of that, yet he tells me, he will be able to pay the last farthing he owes to anyone, during this year some time."

"It caps me! How hes he made the money?"

"Why, Annie, his father built a factory for him and filled it with the finest power-looms and he says he hes been doing a grand business. Old Clitheroe hed allays told him he was wasting time and good brass in hand weaving but Mark would hev his awn way, and somehow his awn way took him to ruin in three years. I was his main creditor. Well, well! I am both astonished and pleased, I am that! Now get thysen and Katherine ready for London."

"I doan't really want to go, Antony."

"But I cannot do without thee. Thou wilt hev to go, and there is Katherine, too! Ten to one, she will need a bit of looking after."

"When art thou going to start?"

"Not for a month. I must see to the sowing of the land—the land feeds us. I thought, though, it would be right to give thee the bit o' change and pleasure to think about and talk about."

"Where does thou intend to stay while in London?"

"I am thinking of the Clarendon Hotel for thee and mysen. I suppose Katherine can be comfortable and welcome at her sister's."

"Certainly she can. Jane isn't anything but kind at heart. It is just her you-shallness that makes her one-sided to live with. But Katherine can hold her own side, without help, she can that! And if thou art bound for London, then London is the place where my heart will be and we will go together."

"Thou art a good wife to me, Annie."

"Well, then, I promised thee to be a good wife, and I'm Yorkshire enough to keep a promise—good or bad. I am glad thou art going to the Clarendon. It is a pleasant house but thy sister Josepha is a bit overbearing, isn't she, Antony?"

"She does not overbear me. I am her eldest brother. I make her remember that. Howiver, I shall hev to listen to such a lot o' strong language in the House that I must hev only thee about me when I can get away from committees, and divisions, taking of votes, and the like."

By this time the squire had filled his pipe, and seated himself in his favorite corner on that side of the hearth, that had no draughts whichever way the wind blew. Then Madam said: "I'll leave thee a few minutes, Antony. I am going to tell Katherine that thou art going to take her to London."

"Varry well. I'll give thee five minutes, then thou must come back here, for I hev something important to tell thee."

"Katherine will want to come back here with me. She will be impatient to thank thee for thy goodness and to coax some sovereigns in advance for a new dress and the few traveling things women need when they are on the road."

"Then thou hed better advise her to wait until supper time. When the day's work is all done I can stand a bit of cuddling and petting and I doan't mind waring a few sovereigns for things necessary. Of course, I know the little wench will be happy and full o' what she is going to see, and to do, and to hear. Yet, Annie, I hev some important thoughts in my mind now and I want thy help in coming to their settlement."

"Antony Annis! I am astonished at thee, I am that! When did thou ever need or take advice about thy awn business? Thou hes sense for all that can be put up against thy opinion, without asking advice from man or woman—'specially woman."

"That may be so, Annie, perhaps it is so, but thou art different. Thou art like mysen and it's only prudent and kind to talk changes over together. For thou hes to share the good or the bad o' them, so it is only right thou should hev time to prepare for whatever they promise. Sit thee down beside me. Now, then, this is what happened just as soon as I hed gotten my money—and I can assure thee, that a thousand pounds in a man's pocket is a big set up—I felt all my six feet four inches and a bit more, too—well, as I was going past the Green to hev a talk wi' Jonathan Hartley, I saw Mr. Foster come to his door and stand there. As he was bare-headed, I knew he was waiting to speak to me. I hev liked the man's face and ways iver since he came to the village, and when he offered his hand and asked me to come in I couldn't resist the kindness and goodness of it."

"Thou went into the preacher's house?"

"I surely did, and I am glad of it. I think a deal o' good may come from the visit."

"Did thou see his daughter?"

"I did and I tell thee she is summat to see."

"Then she is really beautiful?"

"Yes, and more than that. She was sitting sewing in a plain, small parlor but she seemed to be sitting in a circle of wonderful peace. All round her the air looked clearer than in the rest of the room and something sweet and still and heavenly happy came into my soul. Then she told me all about the misery in the cottages and said it had now got beyond individual help and she was sure if thou knew it, and the curate knew it, some proper general relief could be carried out. She had began, she said, 'with the chapel people,' but even they were now beyond her care; and she hoped thou would organize some society and guide all with thy long and intimate knowledge of the people."

"What did thou say to this?"

"I said I knew thou would do iverything that it was possible to do. And I promised that thou