near the wood, and could see the little dark twisted
cone-strewn paths that led into the purple depths, when a woman came
out of it towards her. She saw that it was Miss Toms. It seemed quite
natural to see her there because it was on this same road that she had
first met the lady and her brother. Miss Toms also did not seem at all
surprised. She shook Maggie warmly by the hand.

"You said that I wouldn't come often to see you," said Maggie.

"And it's been true. Things have been more difficult for me than I knew
at the time."

"That's all right," said Miss Toms.

"But I ought to tell you," said Maggie, "that although I haven't been
to see you, I've felt as though you and your brother were my friends,
more than any one in this place. And that's been a great help to me."

They started to walk down the road together.

"You've been in trouble," said Miss Toms. "Of course I've heard about
it. I would have liked to come and see you but I didn't know how your
sister-in-law would like it."

She put her arm through Maggie's.

"My dear," she said, "don't be discouraged. Because Skeaton is dead it
doesn't mean that all the world is. And remember this. The world's view
of any one is never the right one. I know that the world thinks my
brother's mad, but I know that he's a lot saner than most people. The
world thinks your uncle was a rascal, but if you can remember one good
thing he did you know he wasn't, and I'm sure you can remember many
good things."

"It isn't that," said Maggie. "It is that I seem to have done
everything wrong and made every one I had to do with unhappy."

"Nonsense," said Miss Toms. "I'm sure if they've been unhappy it's
their own fault. Isn't the evening air lovely? At times like these I
wonder that Skeaton can dare to exist. You'll come and see us one day,
won't you?"

"I think--I don't know," said Maggie; "I may be going away."

Miss Toms gave her a penetrating look.

"I daresay you're right. Skeaton's not the place for you. I saw that
the first time we met. Well, whatever you do, don't lose your pluck.
You're yourself, you know, and you're as good as anybody else. Don't
you forget that. Because a lot of people say a thing it doesn't mean
it's true, and because a set of idiots think a thing shocking it
doesn't mean that it's shocking. Think how wrong people have always
been about everything!"

They turned down a side lane and arrived in the High Street. The street
was very empty. In the