re is no longer any death to those who understand. All those
limitations are removed; it is no more than going into another
room. All are together in the Hands of the All-Father"--Maggie
recognized the jetsam of Christian Science. "'O death!' as Paul says,
'where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?'"

Mrs. Stapleton flashed a radiant look of helpfulness round the faces,
lingering for an instant on Laurie's, and leaned back.

There followed a silence.

"Shall we go into the drawing-room?" suggested Mrs. Baxter, feebly
rising. The guest rose too, again with a brilliant patient smile, and
swept out. Maggie crossed herself and looked at Laurie. The boy had an
expression, half of disgust, half of interest, and his eyelids sank a
little and rose again. Then Maggie went out after the others.

II

"A dreadful woman," observed Mrs. Baxter half an hour later, as the
two strolled back up the garden path, after seeing Mrs. Stapleton wave
a delicately gloved hand encouragingly to them over the back of the
throbbing motor.

"I suppose she thinks she believes it all," said Maggie.

"My dear, that woman would believe anything. I hope poor Laurie was
not too much distressed."

"Oh! I think Laurie took it all right."

"It was most unfortunate, all that about death and the rest.... Why,
here comes Laurie; I thought he would be gone out by now!"

The boy strolled towards them round the corner of the house, tossing
away the fragment of his cigarette. He was still in his dark suit,
bareheaded, with no signs of riding about him.

"So you've not gone out yet, dear boy?" remarked his mother.

"Not yet," he said, and hesitated as they went on.

Mrs. Baxter noticed it.

"I'll go and get ready," she said. "The carriage will be round at
three, Maggie."

When she was gone the two moved out together on to the lawn.

"What did you think of that woman?" demanded Laurie with a detached
air.

Maggie glanced at him. His tone was a little too much detached.

"I thought her quite dreadful," she said frankly. "Didn't you?" she
added.

"Oh yes, I suppose so," said Laurie. He drew out a cigarette and
lighted it. "You know a lot of people think there's something in it,"
he said.

"In what?"

"Spiritualism."

"I daresay," said Maggie.

She perceived out of the corner of her eye that Laurie looked at her
suddenly and sharply. For herself, she loathed what little she knew of
the subject, so cordially and completely, that