aul had spoken to her. Afterwards in the study the atmosphere was
electric. Grace read The Church Times, Paul the Standard, Maggie
Longfellow's Golden Legend, which she thought foolish.

Grace looked up. "So I understand, Maggie, that you don't want me to
come with you and Paul this summer?"

Maggie, her heart, in spite of herself, thumping in her breast, faced a
Grace transfigured by emotion. That countenance, heavily, flabbily
good-natured, the eyes if stupid, also kind, was now marked and riven
with a flaming anger.

But Maggie was no coward. With her old gesture of self-command she
stilled her heart. "I'm very sorry, Grace," she said. "But it's only
for a month. I want to be alone with Paul."

Grace, her hands fumbling on the arms of her chair as though she were
blind, rose.

"You've hated my being here, Maggie ... all this time I've seen it.
You've hated me. You don't know that you owe everything to me, that you
couldn't have managed the house, the shops, the servants--nothing,
nothing. This last year I've worked my fingers to the bone for you and
Paul. What do you think I get out of it? Nothing. It's because I love
Paul ... because I love Paul. But you've hated my doing things better
than you, you've wanted me to fail, you've been jealous, that's what
you've been. Very well, then, I'll go. You've made that plain enough at
any rate. I'll leave to-morrow. I won't wait another hour. And I'll
never forgive you for this--never. You've taken Paul away from me ...
all I've ever had. I'll never forgive you--never, never, never."

"Grace, Grace," cried Paul.

But she rushed from the room.

Maggie looked at her husband.

"Why, Paul," she said, "you're frightened. Grace doesn't mean it. She
won't go to-morrow--or ever. There's nothing to be frightened of."

His red cheeks were pale. His hands trembled.

"I do so hate quarrels," he said.

Maggie went up to him and rather timidly put her hand on his arm.

"We'll have a lovely time at Harben," she said. "Oh, I do want you to
be happy, Paul."

CHAPTER VI

THE BATTLE OF SKEATON

SECOND YEAR

Strangely enough Maggie felt happier after this disturbance. Grace, in
the weeks that followed, was an interesting confusion of silent and
offended dignity and sudden capitulations because she had some news of
fussing interest that she must impart. Nevertheless she was deeply
hurt. She was as tenacious of her grievances as a limpet is of its
rock, and she had ne