as the words were uttered, as
amenable as angels. Even Jenny stopped feeding long enough to raise
herself and pat her mother's cheek with ten caressing, milky fingers.

"Mother's going away," said Lucy in a solemn voice, and a hush fell on
the three of them.

"And grandma's coming here to live," added Harry after the silence had
grown so depressing that Virginia had started to cry.

"Not to live, precious," corrected Mrs. Pendleton quickly. "Just to
spend two days with you. Mother will be home in two days."

"Mother will be home in two days," repeated Lucy. "May I stay away from
school while you're away, mamma?"

"And may I stop learning my letters?" asked Harry.

"No, darlings, you must do just as if I were here. Grandma will take
care of you. Now promise me that you will be good."

They promised obediently, awed to submission by the stupendous
importance of the change. It is probable that they would have observed
with less surprise any miraculous upheaval in the orderly phenomena of
nature.

"I don't see how I can possibly leave them--they are so good, and they
behave exactly as if they realized how anxious I am," wept Virginia,
breaking down when Marthy came to announce that the rector had come and
the carriage was at the door.

"Suppose you give it up, Jinny. I--I'll send your father," pleaded Mrs.
Pendleton, in desperation as she watched the tragedy of the parting.

But that strange force which the situation had developed in Virginia
yielded neither to her mother's prayers nor to the last despairing wails
of the children, who realized, at the sight of the black bag in Marthy's
hands, that their providence was actually deserting them. The deepest of
her instincts--the instinct that was at the root of all her mother
love--was threatened, and she rose to battle. The thing she loved best,
she had learned, was neither husband nor child, but the one that needed
her.

CHAPTER V

FAILURE

She had lain down in her clothes, impelled by the feeling that if there
were to be a wreck she should prefer to appear completely dressed; so
when the chill dawn came at last and the train pulled into Jersey City,
she had nothing to do except to adjust her veil and wait patiently until
the porter came for her bag. His colour, which was black, inspired her
with confidence, and she followed him trustfully to the platform, where
he delivered her to another smiling member of his race. The cold was so
penetrating that