everything, and 'The Orchard' is such a big house.----"

"You--you were not ashamed of us--of your home, were you, Audrey?"
The words and the tone went to Audrey's heart like a knife twisted in a
wound. She would have given all she possessed to be able to say 'no' with
all her heart and soul. But she could not. Nor could she tell a lie.
So she stood there, silent and ashamed, and grieved to her heart by the
knowledge of the pain she was inflicting.

No one spoke to break the horrible silence which fell on the room.
With all their pleasure gone, Faith and the little ones crept quietly
away, and, after a moment, Audrey, not knowing what else to do, turned and
followed them. She longed for some word, some sign from her mother, but
none came. It was too soon to ask for her forgiveness yet. It was too
much to ask, for it would be only asking for comfort for herself, it would
not lessen the pain she had given to others. Nothing could do that,
nothing, at least, but time, and never-ceasing effort on her part.

With a heart as heavy as lead, she crept slowly down the stairs.
In the hall Faith met her, Faith with eyes sparkling with an anger Audrey
had never seen in them before.

"Oh, how could you!" she cried, her voice trembling with indignation,
"how could you be so cruel! And why are you ashamed of us, because we are
poor? because we are shabby? and untidy? If it is because we are untidy,
why don't you show us how to do better, why don't you help? If it is
because we are poor, and everything is shabby--it isn't our fault.
We would have everything fresh and beautiful if we could. I don't mind,
for myself, what you say or think--but oh, Audrey, how could you hurt
mother so; how could you; how could you?"

The anger died suddenly out of Faith's eyes, washed away by tears.

"I am so awfully, awfully sorry," said Audrey, the pain in her heart
sounding in her voice.

"But you--you didn't mean it!" Faith asked, but in more gentle tone.
"You didn't mean it?"

"I--I did," stammered Audrey, with quivering lip, "but--I don't now.
I myself am the only thing I am ashamed of now," and bursting into tears
she flew upstairs again and shut herself in her attic.

CHAPTER VII.

Almost before her eyes were open the next morning, Audrey felt as though
some big black weight lay upon her, as though something very dreadful had
happened. And then gradually sleep cleared from her brain, and
recollection came back.

Sh