he thought her despairing and
unhappy; but now he was implacable.

* * * * *

Three months later Mrs Griffith came to her husband, trembling with
excitement, and handed him a cutting from a paper,--

'_We hear that Miss Daisy Griffith, who earned golden opinions in
the provinces last winter with her Dick Whittington, is about to be
married to Sir Herbert Ously-Farrowham. Her friends, and their name
is legion, will join with us in the heartiest congratulations._'

He returned the paper without answering.

'Well?' asked his wife.

'It is nothing to me. I don't know either of the parties mentioned.'

At that moment there was a knock at the door, and Mrs Gray and Miss Reed
entered, having met on the doorstep. Mrs Griffith at once regained her
self-possession.

'Have you heard the news, Mrs Griffith?' said Miss Reed.

'D'you mean about the marriage of Sir Herbert Ously-Farrowham?' She
mouthed the long name.

'Yes,' replied the two ladies together.

'It is nothing to me.... I have no daughter, Mrs Gray.'

'I'm sorry to hear you say that, Mrs Griffith,' said Mrs Gray very
stiffly. 'I think you show a most unforgiving spirit.'

'Yes,' said Miss Reed; 'I can't help thinking that if you'd treated poor
Daisy in a--well, in a more _Christian_ way, you might have saved her
from a great deal.'

'Yes,' added Mrs Gray. 'I must say that all through I don't think you've
shown a nice spirit at all. I remember poor, dear Daisy quite well, and
she had a very sweet character. And I'm sure that if she'd been treated
a little more gently, nothing of all this would have happened.'

Mrs Gray and Miss Reed looked at Mrs Griffith sternly and reproachfully;
they felt themselves like God Almighty judging a miserable sinner. Mrs
Griffith was extremely angry; she felt that she was being blamed most
unjustly, and, moreover, she was not used to being blamed.

'I'm sure you're very kind, Mrs Gray and Miss Reed, but I must take the
liberty of saying that I know best what my daughter was.'

'Mrs Griffith, all I say is this--you are not a good mother.'

'Excuse me, madam.'... said Mrs Griffith, having grown red with anger;
but Mrs Gray interrupted.

'I am truly sorry to have to say it to one of my parishioners, but you
are not a good Christian. And we all know that your husband's business
isn't going at all well, and I think it's a judgment of Providence.'

'Very well, ma'am,' said M