ferently. She departed without waiting for
an answer.

VI

Putting on a bonnet, and taking an umbrella to occupy her hands, she
went out into the remedial freedom of the streets. And after turning the
first corner she saw coming towards her the figure of a woman whom she
seemed to know, elegant, even stately, in youthful grace. It was Janet
Orgreave, wearing a fashionable fawn-coloured summer costume. As they
recognized each other the girls blushed slightly. Janet hastened
forward. Hilda stood still. She was amazed at the chance which had sent
her two unexpected visitors in the same day. They shook hands and
kissed.

"So I've found you!" said Janet. "How are you, you poor dear? Why didn't
you answer my letter?"

"Letter?" Hilda repeated, wondering. Then she remembered that she had
indeed received a letter from Janet, but in her comatose dejection had
neglected to answer it.

"I'm up in London with father for the weekend. We want you to come with
us to the Abbey to-morrow. And you must come back with us to Bursley on
Monday. You _must_! We're quite set on it. I've left father all alone
this afternoon, to come up here and find you out. Not that he minds!
What a way it is! But how are you, Hilda?"

Hilda was so touched by Janet's affectionate solicitude that her eyes
filled with tears. She looked at that radiating and innocent goodness,
and thought: "How different I am from her! She hasn't the least idea how
different I am!"

For a moment, Janet seemed to her to be a sort of angel--modish, but
exquisitely genuine. She saw in the invitation to the Five Towns a
miraculous defence against a peril the prospect of which was already
alarming her. She would be compelled to go to Turnhill in order to visit
Lessways Street and decide what of her mother's goods she must keep. She
would of course take Janet with her. In all the Turnhill affairs Janet
should accompany her. Her new life should begin under the protection of
Janet's society. And her heart turned from the old life towards the new
with hope and a vague brightening expectation of happiness.

At the Cedars she led Janet to her bedroom, and then came out of the
bedroom to bid good-bye to George Cannon. The extreme complexity of
existence and of her sensations baffled and intimidated her.

CHAPTER III
JOURNEY TO BLEAKRIDGE

I

Hilda and Janet were mounting the precipitous Sytch Bank together on
their way from Turnhill into Bursley. It was dark; they h