rs Griffith, getting up. 'You're at liberty to
think what you please, but I shall not come to church again. Mr Friend,
the Baptist minister, has asked me to go to his chapel, and I'm sure he
won't treat me like that.'

'I'm sure we don't want you to come to church in that spirit, Mrs
Griffith. That's not the spirit with which you can please God, Mrs
Griffith. I can quite imagine now why dear Daisy ran away. You're no
Christian.'

'I'm sure I don't care what you think, Mrs Gray, but I'm as good as you
are.'

'Will you open the door for me, Mrs Griffith?' said Mrs Gray, with
outraged dignity.

'Oh, you can open it yourself, Mrs Gray!' replied Mrs Griffith.

XI

Mrs Griffith went to see her daughter-in-law.

'I've never been spoken to in that way before,' she said. 'Fancy me not
being a Christian! I'm a better Christian than Mrs Gray, any day. I like
Mrs Gray, with the airs she gives herself--as if she'd got anything to
boast about!... No, Edith, I've said it, and I'm not the woman to go
back on what I've said--I'll not go to church again. From this day I go
to chapel.'

* * * * *

But George came to see his mother a few days later.

'Look here, mother, Edith says you'd better forgive Daisy now.'

'George,' cried his mother, 'I've only done my duty all through, and if
you think it's my duty to forgive my daughter now she's going to enter
the bonds of holy matrimony, I will do so. No one can say that I'm not a
Christian, and I haven't said the Lord's Prayer night and morning ever
since I remember for nothing.'

Mrs Griffith sat down to write, looking up to her son for inspiration.

'Dearest Daisy!' he said.

'No, George,' she replied, 'I'm not going to cringe to my daughter,
although she is going to be a lady; I shall simply say, "Daisy."'

The letter was very dignified, gently reproachful, for Daisy had
undoubtedly committed certain peccadilloes, although she was going to be
a baronet's wife; but still it was completely forgiving, and Mrs
Griffith signed herself, '_Your loving and forgiving mother, whose heart
you nearly broke._'

But the letter was not answered, and a couple of weeks later the same
Sunday paper contained an announcement of the date of the marriage and
the name of the church. Mrs Griffith wrote a second time.

'_MY DARLING DAUGHTER,--I am much surprised at receiving no answer
to my long letter. All is forgiven. I should so much like to see