een, bore witness to the seeming improvement of
health, and the even cheerfulness of spirits which had accompanied it.
Moreover, there was the medical assurance that life could not in any
case have been prolonged; that change of place and habits counted for
nothing in the sudden end which some months ago had been foretold. Jane
confessed herself surprised at the ease with which so great and sudden
a change was borne; the best proof that could have been given of their
mother's nobleness of mind. Once only had Mrs. Warburton seemed to
think regretfully of the old home; it was on coming out of church one
morning, when, having stood for a moment to look at the graveyard, she
murmured to her daughter that she would wish to be buried at St. Neots.
This, of course, was done; it would have been done even had she not
spoken. And when, on the day after the funeral, brother and sister
parted to go their several ways, the sadness they bore with them had no
embitterment of brooding regret. A little graver than usual, Will took
his place behind the counter, with no word to Allchin concerning the
cause of his absence. He wrote frequently to Jane, and from her
received long letters, which did him good, so redolent were they of the
garden life, even in mid-winter, and so expressive of a frank, sweet,
strong womanhood, like that of her who was no more.

Meanwhile his business flourished. Not that he much exerted himself, or
greatly rejoiced to see his till more heavily laden night after night,
by natural accretion custom flowed to the shop in fuller stream;
Jollyman's had established a reputation for quality and cheapness, and
began seriously to affect the trade of small rivals in the district. As
Allchin had foretold, the hapless grocer with the drunken wife sank
defeated before the end of the year; one morning his shop did not open,
and in a few days the furniture of the house was carried off by some
brisk creditor. It made Warburton miserable to think of the man's doom;
when Allchin, frank barbarian as he was, loudly exulted. Will turned
away in shame and anger. Had the thing been practicable he would have
given money out of his own pocket to the ruined struggler. He saw
himself as a merciless victor; he seemed to have his heel on the other
man's head, and to crush, crush--

At Christmas he was obliged to engage a second assistant. Allchin did
not conceal his dislike of this step, but he ended by admitting it to
be necessary. At firs