ets, but always sharing the
proceeds.

But his strength waxed so great, his temper so uncertain, that
practically he was allowed to go his way. From this time forward not
even Aphra was able to control him. More than once he had threatened
her life with his clasp knife. Still she did not insist upon his
leaving the house. As the head of the family, she was responsible for
all. Jeremy was a prodigal son, but still a son--indeed, the only son
of the house. Her father had confided him to Aphra, and she would be
faithful to her trust.

It was about this time that the family became touched with that mystic
spirit which Mr. Ablethorpe had thought to utilize in leading them to
better things. But the attempt was vain from the first.

Even at Bristol an attempt to walk in procession upon the street with
white banners and mystic emblems awoke so much mingled hostility and
mirth that the police were fain to interfere. And an assault made by
Honorine upon a visiting bishop of Low Church tendencies, who dared to
preach in a Geneva gown, led to the closing of the boot shop and their
migration once more to the north.

Everywhere they went Honorine was the bane of custodians of High
Anglican and Catholic churches. She insisted upon spending the whole
day in such buildings, kneeling for hours together before the sacred
pictures, especially those representing favourite saints, making her
stations of the cross several times a day, and representing to the
distressed church officers (who wanted their dinners) that it was no
time to think of earthly nourishment here below--because at any moment
their brains might be sucked up by a steam engine even as hers had
been. She continued, therefore, in spite of gowned Anglican church
officers, magnificent Catholic "Suisses," and arrogant parish beadles,
to do penance for sins which she had never committed.

"There are enough misdeeds in the family, though, to keep you at
penance all your life," grunted Jeremy with a grin, as Honorine
finished her confession. "You did quite right, Honor; I always said
that you had more sense than Aphra!"

"Aphra is wise," said her sister, "but she does not know that, owing to
my prolonged studies in the Book of Nature, I am enabled to cure
toothache."

From the date of their leaving Bristol the family had gone where the
determined Aphra had led them. Their longest time of refuge was in the
service of a German widow named Funkel, who lived in a vi