Beth recoiled. She
allowed them to pass, however, in consideration of the moral
exasperation that inspired them, and the personal rectitude his
attitude implied. The subject had a horrible kind of fascination for
her; she hated it, yet she could not help listening, although her
heart ached and her soul sickened. She listened in silence, however,
neither questioning nor discussing, but simply attending; collecting
material for which she had no use at the moment, and storing it
without design--material which she would find herself forced to turn
to account eventually, but in what way and to what purpose there was
no knowing as yet.

They were to live at Slane, an inland town near Morningquest, where
modern manufactures had competed successfully with ancient
agricultural interests, and altered the attitude of the landed gentry
towards trade, and towards the townspeople, beguiling them to be less
exclusive because there was money in the town, self-interest weighing
with them all at once in regard to the neighbours whom Christian
precept had vainly urged them to recognise.

Dr. Maclure had taken an old-fashioned house in a somewhat solitary
position on the outskirts of Slane, but near enough to the town to
secure paying patients, as he hoped, while far enough out of it to
invite county callers. It stood just on the highroad, from which it
was only divided by a few evergreen shrubs and an iron railing; but it
was picturesque, nevertheless, with creepers--magnolia, wisteria, and
ivy--clustering on the dark red bricks. At the back there was a good
garden, and in front, across the road, were green meadows with
hedgerows--a tangle of holly, hawthorn, and bramble--and old trees,
surviving giants of a forest long uprooted and forgotten. It was a
rich and placid scene, infinitely soothing to one fresh from the
turmoil of the city, and weary of the tireless motion, the incessant
sound and tumult of the sea. When Beth looked out upon the meadows
first, she sighed and said to herself, "Surely, surely one should be
happy here!"

The house was inconveniently arranged inside, and had less
accommodation than its outside pretensions promised; but Beth was
delighted with it all, and took possession of her keys with pride. She
was determined to be a good manager, and make her housekeeping money
go a long way. Her dream was to save out of it, and have something
over to surprise Dan with when the bills were paid. To her chagrin,
however,