say.

"I declare, George," she said at last; "it is quite disheartening. You
seem to have given up taking an interest in anything. I thought you
would have liked to hear the Vicarage troubles."

"My dear mother, why should I worry myself about the `Vicarage
troubles'?" said the young squire calmly. "I have enough of my own."

"But you are the principal landholder here, my dear, and you must learn
to take an interest in parish matters for many reasons. Now, this Miss
Thorne has been trusted to a great extent by Mr Lambent and it seems
shocking to find one so young behaving in an unprincipled manner."

George Canninge rose.

There is an end to most things; certainly there is to the forbearance of
a man, and Mrs Canninge's son could bear no more.

"Unprincipled is a very hard term to apply to a young lady, mother," he
said, with the blood flushing into his cheeks.

"It is, my dear boy, I grant it; and very sad it is to find one who
seemed to be well educated and to possess so much superficial
refinement, ready to yield to temptation."

The ruddy tint faded out of George Canninge's cheeks, leaving him very
pale; but he remained perfectly silent, while his mother went on--

"It is the old story, I suppose: that terrible love of finery that we
find in most young girls. I must say I have noticed myself that Miss
Thorne dressed decidedly above her station."

George Canninge did not speak. His eyelids drooped over his eyes, and
he stood listening, with every nerve upon the stretch; and very slowly
and deliberately Mrs Canninge went on--

"I am sure I am very sorry, my dear, for it seems so sad; though,
really, I do not see that I need trouble myself about it. The foolish
girl, I suppose, wanted money for dress, and having these school funds
in her hand--children's pence and some club money--she made use of them.
So foolish, too, my dear, because she must have known that sooner or
later, she would be found out."

"Who has told you this, mother!" said George Canninge sternly.

"I heard it from Beatrice Lambent, my dear, just now. She is in
terrible trouble about it."

"Miss Lambent has been misinformed," said George Canninge calmly; but it
cost him a tremendous effort to speak as he did.

"Oh, dear me, no, my dear George!" exclaimed Mrs Canninge eagerly.
"She was present when Mr Piper went to the school to receive the money,
and she confessed to having spent it; and it seems that these people are
terribl