r's door. If I lose my place by it, I'll take in
your name to Madam."

The answer he received was short and stern. "_My daughter_ was buried
this morning. I will not see the woman."

Baxter softened it a little in repeating it to Mrs Latrobe. But he
could not soften the hard fact that her mother refused to see her. She
was turning away, when suddenly she lifted her head and held out her
child to him.

"Take it to her! 'Tis a boy."

Mrs Latrobe knew Madam. If a grandchild of the nobler sex produced no
effect upon her, no more could be hoped. Baxter carried the child in,
but he shook his grey head when he brought it back. He did not repeat
the message this time.

"I'll have nought to do with that beggar tradesfellow's brats!" said
Madam, in a fury.

"Mrs Anne, there's one bit of comfort," said old Baxter, in a whisper.
"Master slipped out as soon as I told of you, and I saw him cross the
field towards the church. Go you that way, and meet him."

She did not speak another word, but she clasped the child tight to her
bosom, and hurried away. As she passed a narrow outlet at the end of
the Abbey Church, close to the road, Mr Furnival shambled out and met
her.

"Eh, Nancy, poor soul, God bless thee!" faltered the poor father, who
was nearly as much to be pitied as his child. "She'll not see thee, my
girl. And she'll blow me up for coming. But that's nothing--it comes
every day for something. Look here, child," and Mr Furnival emptied
all his pockets, and poured gold and silver into Anne's thin hand. "I
can do no more. Poor child! poor child! But if thou art in trouble, my
girl, send to me at any time, and I'll pawn my coat for thee if I can do
no better."

"Father," said Mrs Latrobe, in an unsteady voice, "I am sorry I was
ever an undutiful child to _you_."

The emphasis was terribly significant.

So they parted, with much admiration of the grandson, and Mr Furnival
trotted back to his penance; for Madam kept him very short of money, and
required from him an account of every shilling. The storm which he
anticipated broke even a little more severely than he expected; but he
bore it quietly, and went to bed when it was over.

Since that night nothing whatever had been heard of Mrs Latrobe until
four months before the story opens. When Mr Furnival was on his
death-bed, he braved his wife's anger by naming the disowned daughter.
His last words were, "Perpetua, seek out Anne!"

Madam sat liste