ubious. Left to herself, the child would have been generous
enough. She glanced at the dowager.

"May I give it her, grand'ma?"

Grand'ma was conveniently deaf. She would rather have cut the ring in
two than it should be given to the hated child: but, on the other hand,
she did not care to offend Laura Level, who possessed inconveniently
independent opinions, and did not shrink from proclaiming them. Seizing
the poker, she stirred the fire, and created a divertissement.

In the midst of it, Edward left his sofa and walked up to the group and
their beads. He was very weak, and tottered unintentionally against Anne.
The touch destroyed her equilibrium, and she fell into Maude's lap. There
was no damage done, but the box of beads was upset on to the carpet.
Maude screamed at the loss of her treasures, rose up with anger, and
slapped Anne. The child cried out.

"Why d'you hit her?" cried Reginald. "It was Edward's fault; he pushed
her."

"What's that!" exclaimed Edward. "My fault! I'll teach you to say that,"
and he struck Reginald a tingling slap on the cheek.

Of course there was loud crying. The dowager looked on with a red face.
Lady Margaret Cooper, who had no children of her own, stopped her ears.
Lady Laura laid her hand on her sister-in law's wrist.

"And you can witness these scenes, and not check them! You are changed,
indeed, Anne!"

"If I interfere to protect my children, I am checked and prevented,"
replied Lady Hartledon, with quivering lips. "This scene is nothing to
what we have sometimes."

"Who checks you--Val?"

"The dowager. But he does not interpose for me. Where the children are
concerned, he tacitly lets her have sway. It is not often anything of
this sort takes place in his presence."

The noise continued: all the children seemed to be fighting together.
Anne went forward and drew her own two out of the fray.

"Pray send those two screamers to the nursery, Lady Hartledon," cried the
dowager.

"I cannot think why they are allowed in the drawing-room at all," said
Lady Margaret, addressing no one in particular, unless it was the
ceiling. "Edward and Maude would be quiet enough without them."

Anne did not retort: she only glanced at her husband, silent reproach on
her pale face, and took up Anne in her arms to carry her from the room.
But Lady Laura, impulsive and warm, came forward and stopped the exit.

"Lady Kirton, I am ashamed of you! Margaret, I am ashamed of you! I am
ashamed