g, as I saw her, what a capital thing it was
to be twelve years old."

She laughed, and got up as she spoke to go away, perfectly unconscious
of poor Iris's despair.

As her guest left the room Mrs Fotheringham's darkest frown gathered on
her forehead.

"_Did_ you meet Lady Dacre yesterday?" she asked, and then added coldly,
"Perhaps it was one of Moore's daughters she mistook for you."

For a brief moment the possibility of taking advantage of this idea
darted through Iris's mind, but she let it go, and answered faintly:

"I _did_ meet her."

"Where were you, and with whom?"

When her godmother spoke so very distinctly Iris knew how angry she was,
and it was dreadfully difficult to answer at first. Presently, however,
gathering courage she lifted her head and said almost defiantly:

"In the donkey-cart with Moore."

"Did you drive to Dinham with him?"

"No."

"How did you get there?"

"I ran across the fields."

"And with what purpose beside that of disobeying me?"

"To fetch--" Iris stopped; she was approaching the fatal forbidden
subject.

"To fetch what?"

"Medicine."

"Don't tell me untruths," said Mrs Fotheringham still more icily; "what
could you want medicine for?"

"I'm telling the truth," said Iris indignantly; "it was for--"

"Well, well, well," said Mrs Fotheringham impatiently, "for--"

"Moore's baby," finished Iris, almost in a whisper.

"Now," exclaimed Mrs Fotheringham, falling back in her chair, "may
Heaven grant me patience!" She remained leaning back in a flattened
state for so long that Iris wondered if she were ill or going to faint;
but just as she determined to call the maid her godmother raised herself
into her usual erect position and beckoned.

"Come here," she said, "I've something to tell you. Sit down."

Iris sat down, feeling rather frightened, but yet as though the worst
were over; at any rate she had nothing more to confess.

"I invited you here," began Mrs Fotheringham, speaking very slowly and
impressively, "with a certain object in view, and that was that I might
judge whether it would be possible to offer to adopt you altogether.
Had I done so it would have been an untold advantage to you in many
ways, and a great relief to your parents, for your future would have
been provided for. You have plainly shown me, however, that it would be
impossible to have you here. You have shown selfish disregard for my
comfort, disobedience, and low vulgar tastes.