all at once.
Will you attend to me, Mr. Keene?'

'What do you wish me to do?' he asked, only half turning.

'To go and see Mrs. Mutimer in the garden, and accept her invitation to
dinner.'

'I haven't got a dress-suit,' he groaned.

'No matter. If you go away I'll never speak to you again, and you know
you wouldn't like that.'

He gazed at her miserably--his face was one which lent itself to a
miserable expression, and the venerable appearance of his frockcoat and
light trousers filled in the picture of mishap.

'Have you been joking with me?'

'No, I've been telling you the truth. But that's no reason why you
should break loose all at once. Please do as I tell you; go to the
garden now and stop to dinner. I am not accustomed to ask a thing
twice.'

She was almost serious. Keene smiled in a sickly way, bowed, and went to
do her bidding.

CHAPTER XX

Among the little girls who had received invitations to the tea-party
were two named Rendal, the children of the man whose dismissal from New
Wanley had been announced by Mutimer. Adela was rather surprised to see
them in the garden. They were eight and nine years old respectively,
and she noticed that both had a troubled countenance, the elder showing
signs of recent tears. She sought them out particularly for kind words
during tea-time. After the reading she noticed them standing apart,
talking to each other earnestly; she saw also that they frequently
glanced at her. It occurred to her that they might wish to say something
and had a difficulty in approaching. She went to them, and a question or
two soon led the elder girl to disclose that she was indeed desirous
of speaking in private. Giving a hand to each, she drew them a little
apart. Then both children began to cry, and the elder sobbed out a
pitiful story. Their mother was wretchedly ill and had sent them to
implore Mrs. Mutimer's good word that the father might be allowed
another chance. It was true he had got drunk--the words sounded terrible
to Adela from the young lips--but he vowed that henceforth he would
touch no liquor. It was ruin to the family to be sent away; Rendal might
not find work for long enough; there would be nothing for it but to
go to a Belwick slum as long as their money lasted, and thence to the
workhouse. For it was well understood that no man who had worked at New
Wanley need apply to the ordinary employers; they would have nothing to
do with him. The mother would have c