asement of shame
and disgust at herself, and quite unable to treat her transgression
lightly. That he was a boy and she--not a girl--seemed to charge her
with his as well as her own sins, and, besides this moral aggravation,
entailed a lower anxiety as to his discretion and secrecy that drove
her half mad with worry. Suppose he should boast of it! Or, if he
were not bad enough for that, only suppose he should be carried away
into carelessness about it! He had nothing to fear worse than what he
would call "a wigging" and perhaps summary dismissal to a tutor's: she
had more at risk than she could bear to think of. Probably, by now, he
recognized his foolishness, and laughed at himself and her. This
thought made her no happier, for men may do all that--and yet, very
often, they do not stop.

She had to go to a party at the Vicarage in the afternoon. Harry would
be sure to be there, and, with a conflict of feeling finding expression
in her acts, she protected herself by taking all the children, while
she inconsistently dressed herself in her most youthful and coquettish
costume. She found herself almost grudging Johnnie his rapidly
increasing inches, even while she relied on him for an assertion of her
position as a matron. For the folly of last night was to be over and
done with, and her acquaintance with Harry Sterling to return to its
only possible sane basis; that she was resolved on, but she wanted
Harry honestly--even keenly--to regret her determination.

He was talking to Maudie Sinclair when she arrived; he took off his
hat, but did not allow his eyes to meet hers. She gathered her
children round her, and sat down among the chaperons. Mrs. Sterling
came and talked to her; divining a sympathy, the good mother had much
to say of her son, of her hopes and her fears for him; so many dangers
beset young men, especially if they were attractive, like Harry; there
were debts, idleness, fast men, and--worst of all--there were designing
women, ready to impose on and ruin the innocence of youth.

"He's been such a good boy till now," said Mrs. Sterling, "but, of
course, his father and I feel anxious. If we could only keep him here,
out of harm's way, under our own eyes!"

Mrs. Mortimer murmured consolation.

"How kind of you! And your influence is so good for him. He thinks
such a lot of you, Hilda."

Mrs. Mortimer, tried too hard, rose and strolled away. Harry's set
seemed to end almost directly, and a mo