iously welcomed by
Shooter's Gardens. In a few weeks the soup was once more concocted of
familiar ingredients, and customers, as often as they grumbled, had the
pleasure of being rebuked in their native tongue.

It was with anything but a cheerful heart that Jane went through this
initiation into the philanthropic life. Her brief period of joy and
confidence was followed by a return of anxiety, which no resolve could
suppress. It was not only that the ideals to which she strove to form
herself made no genuine appeal to her nature; the imperative hunger of
her heart remained unsatisfied. At first, when the assurance received
from Michael began to lose a little of its sustaining force, she could
say to herself, 'Patience, patience; be faithful, be trustful, and your
reward will soon come.' Nor would patience have failed her had but the
current of life flowed on in the old way. It was the introduction of
new and disturbing things that proved so great a test of fortitude.
Those two successive absences of Sidney on the appointed evening were
strangely unlike him, but perhaps could be explained by the
unsettlement of his removal; his manner when at length he did come
proved that the change in himself was still proceeding. Moreover, the
change affected Michael, who manifested increase of mental trouble at
the same time that he yielded more and more to physical infirmity.

The letter which Sidney wrote after receiving Joseph Snowdon's
confidential communications was despatched two days later. He expressed
himself in carefully chosen words, but the purport of the letter was to
make known that he no longer thought of Jane save as a friend; that the
change in her position had compelled him to take another view of his
relations to her than that he had confided to Michael at Danbury. Most
fortunately--he added--no utterance of his feelings had ever escaped
him to Jane herself, and henceforth he should be still more careful to
avoid any suggestion of more than brotherly interest. In very deed
nothing was altered; he was still her steadfast friend, and would
always aid her to his utmost in the work of her life.

That Sidney could send this letter, after keeping it in reserve for a
couple of days, proved how profoundly his instincts were revolted by
the difficulties and the ambiguity of his position. It had been bad
enough when only his own conscience was in play; the dialogue with
Joseph, following upon Bessie Byass's indiscretion,