t that poker in a wide-awake did was to say
something uncivil about her father, and she wasn't going to stand that.
Quite right, too."

"She did come to church on Christmas Day," said Mrs. Roughsedge,
reflecting. "But, then, a great many people do that who don't believe
anything. Anyway, she has always been quite charming to your father and
me. And I think, besides, the Vicar might have been satisfied with your
father's opinion--_he_ made no complaint about the books. Oh, now the
Miss Bertrams are going to stop us! They'll of course know all
about it!"

If Captain Roughsedge growled ugly words into his mustache, his mother
was able to pretend not to hear them, in the gentle excitement of
shaking hands with the Miss Bertrams. These middle-aged ladies, the
daughters of a deceased doctor from the neighboring county town of
Dunscombe, were, if possible, more plainly dressed than usual, and their
manners more forbidding.

"You will have heard of this disagreeable incident which has occurred,"
said Miss Maria to Mrs. Roughsedge, with a pinched mouth. "My sister and
I shall, of course, remove our names from the Club."

"I say--don't your subscribers order the books they like?" asked
Roughsedge, half wroth and half laughing, surveying the lady with his
hand on his side.

"There is a very clear understanding among us," said Miss Maria,
sharply, "as to the character of the books to be ordered. No member of
the Club has yet transgressed it."

"There must be give and take, mustn't there?" said Miss Elizabeth, in a
deprecatory voice. She was the more amiable and the weaker of the two
sisters. "_We_ should _never_ order books that would be offensive to
Miss Mallory."

"But if you haven't read the books?"

"The Vicar's word is quite enough," said Miss Maria, with her most
determined air.

They all moved on together, Captain Roughsedge smoothing or tugging at
his mustache with a restless hand.

But Miss Bertram, presently, dropping a little behind, drew Mrs.
Roughsedge with her.

"There are all sorts of changes at the house," she said, confidentially.
"The laundry maids are allowed to go out every evening, if they
like--and Miss Mallory makes no attempt to influence the servants to
come to church. The Vicar says the seats for the Beechcote servants have
never been so empty."

"Dear, dear!" murmured Mrs. Roughsedge.

"And money is improperly given away. Several people whom the Vicar
thinks most unfit objects of charit