s.

She sought for sympathy and found it, but mostly in the wrong places. It
was comforting, but unprofitable. Mrs Next-door sympathized warmly,
and offered to go up as a witness--she had another landlord. The agent
sympathized wearily, but not in the presence of witnesses--he wanted
her to put herself in his place. Mother Brock, indeed, offered practical
assistance, which offer was received in breathlessly indignant silence.
It was Mother Brock who first came to the assistance of Mrs Aspinall's
child when the plaster accident took place (the mother being absent at
the time), and when Mrs Aspinall heard of it, her indignation cured her
of her fright, and she declared to Mrs Next-door that she would give
"that woman"--meaning Mother Brock--"in char-rge the instant she ever
_dared_ to put her foot inside her (Mrs A.'s) respectable door-step
again. She was a respectable, honest, hard-working woman, and---" etc.

Whereat Mother Brock laughed good-naturedly. She was a broad-minded
bad woman, and was right according to _her_ lights. Poor Mrs A. was a
respectable, haggard woman, and was right according to _her_ lights, and
to Mrs Next-door's, perfectly so--they being friends--and _vice versa_.
None of them knew, or would have taken into consideration, the fact that
the landlord had lost all his money in a burst financial institution,
and half his houses in the general depression, and depended for food for
his family on the somewhat doubtful rents of the remainder. So they were
all right according to their different lights.

Mrs Aspinall even sought sympathy of "John," the Chinaman (with whom she
had dealt for four months only), and got it. He also, in all simplicity,
took a hint that wasn't intended. He said: "Al li'. Pay bimeby. Nexy
time Flyday. Me tlust." Then he departed with his immortalized smile. It
would almost appear that he was wrong--according to our idea of Chinese
lights.

Mrs Aspinall went to the court--it was a small local court. Mrs
Next-door was awfully sorry, but she couldn't possibly get out that
morning. The contractor had the landlord up as a witness. The landlord
and the P.M. nodded pleasantly to each other, and wished each other good
morning.... Verdict for plaintiff with costs... Next case!... "You
mustn't take up the time of the court, my good woman.".. "Now,
constable!".."Arder in the court!"... "Now, my good woman," said the
policeman in an undertone, "you must go out; there's another case
on-com