. Oh, it's a serpent's tooth, it is, and if we had never
scraped and screwed for you, and denied ourselves, but left you to
yourself, you might have been better; oh dear, oh dear!"

Catharine held her tongue. She saw instantly that if she denied any
engagement with Tom she would not be believed, and that in any case Tom
would have to depart. Moreover, one of her defects was a certain
hardness to persons for whom she had small respect, and she did not
understand that just because Mrs. Furze was her mother, she owed her at
least deference, and, if possible, a tenderness due to no other person.
However weak, foolish, and even criminal parents may be, a child ought to
honour them as Moses commanded, for the injunction is, and should be,
entirely unconditional.

"Catharine," said Mr. Furze, "why do you not answer your mother?"

"I cannot; I had better leave."

She opened the door and went to her room. After she had left further
debate arose, and three points were settled: First, that no opposition
should be offered to a visit to Chapel Farm, which had been proposed for
the next day, as she would be better at the Farm than at the Terrace;
secondly, that Tom and she were in love with one another; and thirdly,
that not a word should be said to Tom. "Leave that to me," said Mrs.
Furze again. Although she saw nothing distinctly, a vague, misty hope
dawned upon her, the possibility of something she could not yet discern,
and, notwithstanding the blow she had received, she was decidedly more
herself within an hour after breakfast than she had been during the
twelve hours preceding.

CHAPTER XIV

In Mr. Furze's establishment was a man who went by the name of Orkid Jim,
"Orkid" signifying the general contradictoriness and awkwardness of his
temper. He had a brother who was called Orkid Joe, in the employ of a
builder in the town, but it was the general opinion that Orkid Jim was
much the orkider of the two. He was a person with whom Mr. Furze seldom
interfered. He was, it is true, a good workman in the general fitting
department, in setting grates, and for jobs of that kind, but he was
impertinent and disobedient. Mr. Furze, however, tolerated his insults,
and generally allowed him to have his own way. He was not only afraid of
Orkid Jim, but he was a victim to that unhappy dread of a quarrel which
is the torment and curse of weak minds. It is, no doubt, very horrible
to see a man trample upon opinions and f