pity indeed that he should--and he come so far to administer spiritual
consolation to conscious sinners!"

Then the old woman was roused to fury.

"Sinner am I?" she said, going up and bending her body till her face
came within an inch of two of that of the old man, who was seated,
pretending to go on with his tea. "Sinner am I? Well, I do not deny
it. But at least, if sinner I be, it is that I may find a home and a
livelihood for those three poor things, whom God hath bereft of their
reason! But as for you--for what do you sin--sin till the sand of the
sea could hardly tell the multitude of your crimes, poured from the
hand like water, a grain for a sin? For money--yes, for dirty gold!
For money which you dare not spend, and for gear which you dare not
show! Answer me that! And if sinner I be--I have never heard or read
that the Gospel is not for sinners! Do I not need it the more, Hobby
Stennis? And the young man is a good young man, and speaks to me of
high things--such as I need much, and you more!"

"Have your shown him your Mumbo-Jumbo worship in the barn? Or your
sisters, kneeling before the little coffins--all that flummery? You
ought to be ashamed--you, Aphra Orrin, you, a woman of sense, and able
to know better!"

"And if I told Mr. Ablethorpe all, he would understand," retorted the
old maid. "He would understand that those who cannot know God must be
content with such a God as they can understand!"

Mr. Stennis laughed, but there was a false ring in his laughter.

"Aye," he said, "doubtless there are a great many things which the good
young man, Mr. Ablethorpe, cannot understand. Did you ever, by chance,
try to teach him a little gardening?"

"No, and well for you, Hobby Stennis!" cried the woman, still
threateningly.

"Well or ill," said the old man, "I go to see these bairns across the
bridge and safe on their way home. Then to my weaving! Where is
Jeremy?"

"How should I know were Jeremy is--on some of your errands, doubtless!"
she cried. "Come, I will let down the drawbridge myself. Also I shall
see to it that you offer no indignity to the one honest man who deigns
to enter your house."

This quarrel between the two most sane inhabitants of Deep Moat Grange
let me deeper into the secrets of that evil dwelling than anything
else. At least, so I thought at the time. But I found afterwards that
all I thought I knew had but lain on the surface. I had conceited to
find Shallow