,' the old woman added quaintly, 'the master he served so faithful.
For ye see, ma'am,' she went on, forgetting for the moment her grief in
her earnestness, 'I take it as it's this way. There's honesty to God as
well as honesty to men. None would 'a blamed Measter Fairfield if he'd
let things be; no man could 'a done so. But he looked higher nor the
judging o' men.'

'Yes, truly,' Mrs Mildmay heartily agreed, 'that was the secret, Mrs
Burton.'

'But, oh dear, dear;' cried the poor woman, relapsing again into the
tears which did her credit, 'it's mony a sore heart he'll leave behind
him.'

'Mamma,' said Jacinth softly and half timidly, when a quarter of an hour
or so later they were wending their way home relieved of their packages,
through the muddy streets--'mamma, do you know that what she said--old
Mrs Burton, I mean--about the two kinds of honesty has helped to--to
make me understand better than I did before what papa felt, and you too,
of course, about--about Lady Myrtle and the Harpers, you know.'

Mrs Mildmay, in spite of the rain and her umbrella, managed to give
Jacinth's arm a little loving squeeze.

'I am so glad, so very glad, dear,' she said.

'Mamma,' said Jacinth, again, after a little silence, in a more assured
voice this time, 'if papa had been in Mr Fairfield's place, he would
have done just like him, wouldn't he?'

'I am quite sure he would,' agreed her mother.

And notwithstanding the cold and the rain and the grimness of
everything, I think Jacinth felt happier that day than since they had
come to Barmettle.

A day or two later another little event helped to confirm Jacinth's
better and truer views of her great disappointment. This was the arrival
of a letter for Frances, forwarded from Thetford by their Aunt Alison.

'A letter for me!' exclaimed the little girl, when at the
breakfast-table her mother handed it to her. 'Whom can it be from? I
hardly ever get any letters.' But as her eye fell on the address her
face flushed and brightened.

'Oh, I do believe,' she said, 'I do believe it's from Bessie--Bessie
Harper. And of course she'd have to send it to Aunt Alison's; she
doesn't know we've left Thetford.'

'I'm not so sure of that,' said Mrs Mildmay. 'When I wrote to Mrs Lyle
some time ago, I told her we were coming to Barmettle, but very likely
she did not think of sending our address to her nieces, for they have
not been in the habit of writing to you or Jacinth.'

'No,' Frances