ecalled
little Christie's delicate words, that Aunt Alice was "away at present."
The child evidently would not say more. Pandora made up her mind that
she would go and see Christie again as soon as possible, and meanwhile
she listened for any information that she might give her.

"What is like to come of the woman, then?" said Mr Roberts, "apart from
Mistress Tabitha and her whip?"

"Scarce release, I count," said the Justice gravely. "She hath been
moved from the gaol; and that doubtless meaneth, had into straiter
keeping."

"Poor fools!" said his brother, rather pityingly than scornfully.

"Ay, 'tis strange, in very deed, they cannot let be this foolish
meddling with matters too high for them. If the woman would but conform
and go to church, I hear, her womanish fantasies should very like be
overlooked. Good lack I can a man not believe as he list, yet hold his
tongue and be quiet, and not bring down the laws on his head?" concluded
the Justice somewhat testily.

There was a pause, during which all were silent--from very various
motives. Mr Roberts was thinking rather sadly that the only choice
offered to men in those days was a choice of evils. He had never wished
to conform--never would have done so, had he been let alone: but a man
must look out for his safety, and take care of his property--of course
he must!--and if the authorities made it impossible for him to do so
with a good conscience, why, the fault was theirs, not his. Thus argued
Mr Roberts, forgetting that the man makes a poor bargain who gains the
whole world and loses himself. The Justice and Gertrude were simply
enjoying their supper. No scruples of any kind disturbed their
slumbering consciences. Mistress Collenwood's face gave no indication
of her thoughts. Pandora was reflecting chiefly upon Christabel.

But there was one present whose conscience had been asleep, and was just
waking to painful life. For nearly four years had Grena Holland soothed
her many misgivings by some such reasoning as that of Mr Justice
Roberts. She had conformed outwardly: had not merely abstained from
contradictory speeches, but had gone to mass, had attended the
confessional, had bowed down before images of wood and stone, and all
the time had comforted herself by imagining that God saw her heart, and
knew that she did not really believe in any of these things, but only
acted thus for safety's sake. Now, all at once, she knew not how, it
came on her a