on Mr. Prong's behalf. She had
come round in her walk to that very churchyard stile at which she
had seen Rachel standing with Luke Rowan, and as she remembered some
passages in her own girlish days, she almost felt inclined to forgive
her sister. But then, on a sudden, she drew herself up almost with a
gasp, and went on quickly with her walk. Had she not herself in those
days walked in darkness, and had it not since that been vouchsafed
to her to see the light? In her few months of married happiness it
had been given to her to do but little of that work which might now
be possible to her. Then she had been married in the flesh; now she
would be married in the spirit;--she would be married in the spirit,
if it should, on final consideration, seem good to her to accept Mr.
Prong's offer in that light. Then unconsciously, she began to reflect
on the rights of a married woman with regard to money,--and also on
the wrongs. She was not sure as to the law, and asked herself whether
it would be possible for her to consult an attorney. Finally, she
thought it would not be practicable to do so before giving her answer
to Mr. Prong.

And she could not even ask her mother. As to that, too, she
questioned herself, and resolved that she could not so far lower
herself under existing circumstances. There was no one to whom she
could go for advice. But we may say this of her,--let her have asked
whom she would, she would have at least been guided by her own
judgment. If only she could have obtained some slight amount of legal
information, how useful it would have been!

CHAPTER X.

LUKE ROWAN DECLARES HIS PLANS AS TO THE BREWERY.

"The truth is, T., there was some joking among the young people
about the wine, and then Rowan went and ordered it." This was Mrs.
Tappitt's explanation about the champagne, made to her husband on the
night of the ball, before she was allowed to go to sleep. But this
by no means satisfied him. He did not choose, as he declared, that
any young man should order whatever he might think necessary for his
house. Then Mrs. Tappitt made it worse. "To tell the truth, T., I
think it was intended as a present to the girls. We are doing a great
deal to make him comfortable, you know, and I fancy he thought it
right to make them this little return." She should have known her
husband better. It was true that he grudged the cost of the wine; but
he would have preferred to endure that to the feeling that his ta