ead at me in half-serious rebuke. "They were for
Margaret!"

Jenny might deny herself the sky; but she would have castles
somewhere--founded solidly on earth. It was the earth she trusted now.
You cannot fall off that.

CHAPTER XIX

A CASE OF CONSCIENCE

"And now about the Institute!" said Jenny the next morning. Cartmell had
obeyed her summons to come up to the Priory, and the three of us were
together in my office there.

She was not wasting time. Matters were to move quick. She had come home
with her plans matured, ready for execution. The enemies might hesitate,
losing themselves in debate. She would not hesitate, nor take part in
the debate about herself. Acting and acting quickly, she would carry the
position while they still discussed how--or even whether--it should be
defended.

"The Committee stands adjourned _sine die_," said Cartmell. "You'd
convene a meeting?"

Jenny would have none of convening the Committee. It would be awkward if
some of the members did not come--and still more awkward if all of them
attended!

"I regard the Committee as having abdicated," she told us. "They chose
to adjourn--let them stay adjourned. I shall go over their
heads--straight to the Corporation. Let's see if the Corporation will
refuse! If they do, we shall know where we are."

Of course she did not think that they would refuse, or she would never
have risked an offer which forced the issue into the open. Fillingford
had his feelings, Alison his scruples. Both scruples and feelings were
intelligible. But was the Borough Council going to refuse a hundred
thousand pounds freely given for the borough's benefit?

"Hatcham Ford as it stands--and a hundred thousand pounds, please, Mr.
Cartmell."

"With the town spreading out as it is in that direction, that's more
like a hundred and fifty in reality," he grumbled.

"I'm going to bleed you sadly!" Jenny assured him gayly. "We'll send for
Mr. Bindlecombe and get this in hand at once. We'll see the Institute
growing out of the ground within the year!"

Bindlecombe, too, was all for a dashing strategy--though I think that he
would have been for anything that Jenny wanted. The letter to the Mayor
(Bindlecombe no longer filled that office, though he was still a leading
member of the Corporation) was written; it appeared in the paper; a
meeting to consider it was called for the next week. In the same issue
of the paper appeared an account of Jenny's reception in C