terrible that she could not
quite think of it; but in struggling to think of it her heart was softened
towards this other woman. After that day she never spoke further of the
woman's sin.

Of course she told it all to the Doctor,--not indeed explaining the
working of her own mind as to that suggestion that he should have been, in
his first condition, a very bad man, and have been reported dead, and have
come again, in a second shape, as a good man. She kept that to herself.
But she did endeavour to describe the effect upon herself of the
description the woman had given her of her own conduct.

"I don't quite know how she could have done otherwise," said Mrs. Wortle.

"Nor I either; I have always said so."

"It would have been so very hard to go away, when he told her not."

"It would have been very hard to go away," said the Doctor, "if he had
told her to do so. Where was she to go? What was she to do? They had
been brought together by circumstances, in such a manner that it was, so
to say, impossible that they should part. It is not often that one comes
across events like these, so altogether out of the ordinary course that
the common rules of life seem to be insufficient for guidance. To most of
us it never happens; and it is better for us that it should not happen.
But when it does, one is forced to go beyond the common rules. It is that
feeling which has made me give them my protection. It has been a great
misfortune; but, placed as I was, I could not help myself. I could not
turn them out. It was clearly his duty to go, and almost as clearly mine
to give her shelter till he should come back."

"A great misfortune, Jeffrey?"

"I am afraid so. Look at this." Then he handed to her a letter from a
nobleman living at a great distance,--at a distance so great that Mrs.
Stantiloup would hardly have reached him there,--expressing his intention
to withdraw his two boys from the school at Christmas.

"He doesn't give this as a reason."

"No; we are not acquainted with each other personally, and he could hardly
have alluded to my conduct in this matter. It was easier for him to give
a mere notice such as this. But not the less do I understand it. The
intention was that the elder Mowbray should remain for another year, and
the younger for two years. Of course he is at liberty to change his mind;
nor do I feel myself entitled to complain. A school such as mine must
depend on the credit of the establi