ost of all desire for him is a steady,
sympathetic home influence, a--may I say it?--a motherly influence."

Hester at this moment, averting her eyes, was aware of an old woman a few
yards away, coming up the road; a woman erect as a soldier, with strong,
almost mannish features, and eyes that glared at her fiercely from under a
washed-out blue sunbonnet. Mr. Sam gave her good-morning as she went by,
but she neither answered nor seemed to hear him.

"Who is she?" Hester had almost asked, when the woman turned aside into a
path leading to the shed among the elms.

"She'll have to shut up shop next week," said Mr. Sam, following Hester's
gaze. "I declare, Miss Marvin, one would think the old woman had
ill-wished you, by the way you are staring after her. Don't believe in
witchcraft, I hope?"

"I have never seen her till now, and I do feel sorry for her."

"She's not fit to teach, and never was."

"She's setting me a lesson in punctuality, at any rate," said Hester,
forcing a little laugh, glad of an excuse to end the conversation.
But along the road and at intervals during the first and second
lesson-hours the face of Mrs. Butson haunted her.

In the hour before dinner, while she sat among the little ones correcting
their copy-books, the door-latch clicked, and she looked up with a start--
to see the woman herself standing upon the threshold! Archelaus Libby,
who had been chalking on the blackboard at lightning speed a line of
figures for his mental arithmetic class, turned to announce them, and
paused with a click in his throat which seemed to answer that of the
latch. In the sudden hush Hester felt her cheek paling. Somehow she
missed the courage with which she had met Tom Trevarthen.

"Good-morning!" said Mrs. Butson harshly. "'Tisn't forbidden to come in,
I hope?"

"Good-morning," Hester found voice to answer. "You may come in, and
welcome, if you wish us well."

"I'm Sarah Butson. As for wishing well or ill to 'ee, we'll leave that
alone. I've come to listen, not to interrup'." She advanced into the
room and pointed a finger at Archelaus Libby. "Is that your male teacher?
He bain't much to look at, but I'm told he's terrible for sums."

"You shall judge for yourself. Go on with your lesson, Archelaus; and
you, Mrs. Butson, take a seat if you will."

"No; I'll stand." Mrs. Butson shut her jaws firmly and treated the small
scholars around her to a fierce, unwavering stare. Many winced,
remem