shocking
kind; cases of low immorality; cases of a kind, of a nature of a--a--class
that you are not supposed to know anything about. Really, Stephen! . . .
' She was drawing away her hand in indignation. But Stephen held it
tight, as she said very sweetly:

'That is just it, Auntie. I am so ignorant that I feel I should know
more of the lives of those very people!' Miss Laetitia interrupted:

'Ignorant! Of course you are ignorant. That is what you ought to be.
Isn't it what we have all been devoting ourselves to effect ever since
you were born? Read your third chapter of Genesis and remember what came
of eating of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge.'

'I think the Tree of Knowledge must have been an orange tree.' The old
lady looked up, her interest aroused:

'Why?'

'Because ever since Eden other brides have worn its blossom!' Her tone
was demure. Miss Rowly looked sharply at her, but her sharpness softened
off into a smile.

'H'm!' she said, and was silent. Stephen seized the opportunity to put
her own case:

'Auntie dear, you must forgive me! You really must, for my heart is set
on this. I assure you I am not doing it merely to please myself. I have
thought over the whole matter. Father has always wished me to be in a
position--a position of knowledge and experience--to manage Normanstand
if I should ever succeed him. From the earliest time I can remember he
has always kept this before me, and though of course I did not at first
understand what it meant, I have seemed in the last few years to know
better. Accordingly I learned all sorts of things under his care, and
sometimes even without his help. I have studied the estate map, and I
have been over the estate books and read some of the leases and all such
matters which they deal with in the estate office. This only told me the
bones of the thing. I wanted to know more of our people; and so I made a
point of going now and again to each house that we own. Of seeing the
people and talking with them familiarly; as familiarly as they would let
me, and indeed so far as was possible considering my position. For,
Auntie dear, I soon began to learn--to learn in a way there was no
mistaking--what my position is. And so I want to get to know more of
their ordinary lives; the darker as well as the lighter side. I would
like to do them good. I can see how my dear daddy has always been a sort
of power to help them, and I would like to carry on