l. She had stolen the child
from one of its own sisters! She had risked so much for that! She
could have shrieked in her impotent anger.

Turning, she met the wondering gaze of the two children, who had
stopped in their play to watch her. She gave them both a smart box on
the ears, and then, further enraged when they both began to cry, she
seized them roughly and thrust them into the bedroom. She would gladly
have smacked her own baby, only that he happened to be asleep.

The second happening was a postcard in the afternoon, from the maid
who lived where she used to wash in Old Keston. Her mistress was away,
she said; the new washerwoman had not put in an appearance and if Mrs.
Adams was not engaged on Monday, would she come and oblige?

Mrs. Adams was not engaged. She thought things over and she decided to
go. Not by her usual trains, however. Something must be devised about
ridding herself of Maud. She was sick of seeing after the child and
she found herself listening to every heavy footstep on the stairs. She
would go over late on Monday morning, and returning by a later train,
could observe the movements of the St. Olave's household when the dusk
fell. She must do something or Tom would be back.

The third happening came late at night.

As might have been expected, Jim came home at last with very little
money in his pocket.

He threw over to Jane her usual housekeeping money and growled out
that he had not got any extra for Harry this week. She must make do
without it. A child like that couldn't cost much, anyhow!

That put the finishing touch to Jane's day. She stormed and raved, she
called her husband names, she threatened all sorts of things, but as
Jim observed, hard words would not draw blood out of a stone, and he
sat there stolidly smoking and listening to the torrent of words, till
suddenly his patience gave way all at once, and he declared that if
he heard another word, he would take the money back and do the
housekeeping himself.

That would have suited Jane very ill, and it sobered her somewhat, and
when Jim added that if they were all going short of food next week,
she had better send that kid of her sister's home, she became quite
silent. It occurred to her that it might be well not to push Jim too
hard till the child was safely gone. After that she would have a free
hand.

She maintained a sulky silence all Sunday, but Jim took no notice of
her. He went out directly after breakfast, taking H