made such progress as led him to say that she had a future before
her.

She had never deserted Sue Chapman after that first morning in which she
had gone to her rescue. Janway's Mills was bewildered when it found that
the Reverend Lucien Latimer's sister went to see Jack Williams' deserted
sweetheart, and did not disdain to befriend her in her disgrace. The
church-going element, with the Nottingham lace curtains in its parlour
windows, would have been shocked, but that it was admitted that "the
Latimers has always been a well-thought-of family, an' all of 'em is
members in good standin'. They're greatly respected in Willowfield; even
the old fam'lies speak to 'em when they meet 'em in the street or at
Church.

"Not that I'd be willin' for my Elma Ann to 'sociate with a girl that's
gone wrong. Maybe it's sorter different with a minister's sister.
Ministers' families has to 'sociate out o' charity an' religion; go to
pray with 'em, an' that, an' read the Scripture to make 'em sense their
sinfulness an' the danger they're in."

But Margery did not pray with Susan Chapman, or read the Bible to her.
The girl held obstinately to her statement of unbelief in a God, and
Margery did not feel that her mood was one to which reading the Gospel
would appeal. If she could have explained to her the justice of the
difference between Jack Williams' lot and her own, she felt they might
have advanced perhaps, but she could not. She used to go to see her and
try to alleviate her physical discomfort and miserable poverty. She saved
her from hunger and cold when she could no longer work at all, and she
taught her to feel that she was not utterly without a friend.

"What I'd have done without you, God knows--or what ought to be God," Sue
said. "He didn't care, but you did. If there _is_ one, He's got a lot to
learn from some of the people He's made Himself. 'After His own image
created He them'--that's what the Bible says; but I don't believe it. If
He was as good and kind-hearted as the best of us, He wouldn't sit upon
His throne with angels singing round an' playin' on harps, an' Him too
much interested to see how everything sufferin' down below. What did He
make us for, if He couldn't look after us? I wouldn't make a thing I
wouldn't do my best by--an' I ain't nothin' but a factory girl.
This--this poor thing that's goin' to be born an' hain't no right to,
I'll do my level best by it--I will. It sha'n't suffer, if I can help
it"--her