house to be nursed; and there I went--and there, sure enough, she had
been--and they'd turned her out as she were strong, and told her she were
young enough to work--but whatten kind o' work would be open to her, lad,
and her baby to keep?"

Will listened to his mother's tale with deep sympathy, not unmixed with
the old bitter shame. But the opening of her heart had unlocked his, and
after awhile he spoke--

"Mother! I think I'd e'en better go home. Tom can stay wi' thee. I
know I should stay too, but I cannot stay in peace so near--her--without
craving to see her--Susan Palmer, I mean."

"Has the old Mr. Palmer thou telled me on a daughter?" asked Mrs. Leigh.

"Ay, he has. And I love her above a bit. And it's because I love her I
want to leave Manchester. That's all."

Mrs. Leigh tried to understand this speech for some time, but found it
difficult of interpretation.

"Why shouldst thou not tell her thou lov'st her? Thou'rt a likely lad,
and sure o' work. Thou'lt have Upclose at my death; and as for that, I
could let thee have it now, and keep mysel' by doing a bit of charring.
It seems to me a very backwards sort o' way of winning her to think of
leaving Manchester."

"Oh, mother, she's so gentle and so good--she's downright holy. She's
never known a touch of sin; and can I ask her to marry me, knowing what
we do about Lizzie, and fearing worse? I doubt if one like her could
ever care for me; but if she knew about my sister, it would put a gulf
between us, and she'd shudder up at the thought of crossing it. You
don't know how good she is, mother!"

"Will, Will! if she's so good as thou say'st, she'll have pity on such as
my Lizzie. If she has no pity for such, she's a cruel Pharisee, and
thou'rt best without her."

But he only shook his head, and sighed; and for the time the conversation
dropped.

But a new idea sprang up in Mrs. Leigh's head. She thought that she
would go and see Susan Palmer, and speak up for Will, and tell her the
truth about Lizzie; and according to her pity for the poor sinner, would
she be worthy or unworthy of him. She resolved to go the very next
afternoon, but without telling any one of her plan. Accordingly she
looked out the Sunday clothes she had never before had the heart to
unpack since she came to Manchester, but which she now desired to appear
in, in order to do credit to Will. She put on her old-fashioned black
mode bonnet, trimmed with real lace; her scar