d, not at all knowing that he was watching her.

"Good again; very good, good girl, wise girl, prudent girl," he murmured
to himself.

The tray now came to Mrs Franklin. She took a glass of sherry. Mr
Tankardew's brow clouded. "Ah!" he exclaimed, and moved restlessly on
his chair. The servant then approached him and offered the contents of
the tray, but he waved it off with an imperious gesture of his hand, and
did not vouchsafe a word.

The more boisterous party in the other room now became conscious of the
presence of the wine and negus, and rushed in, surrounding the maid who
was bringing in a fresh supply. Mark was at the head of them, and
tossed down two glasses in rapid succession. The rest clamoured for the
strong drink with eager hands and outstretched arms. "Give me some,
give me some," was uttered on all sides. Self reigned paramount.

Mr Tankardew's tall form rose high above the edge of the struggling
crowd, which he had approached.

"Poor things, poor things, poor things!" he said gloomily.

"A pleasant sight, these little ones enjoying themselves," said Mr
Rothwell, coming up.

Mr Tankardew seemed scarcely to hear him, and returned to his place by
Mrs Franklin.

"Enjoying themselves!" he exclaimed, in an undertone, "call it pampering
the flesh, killing the soul, and courting the devil."

"Rather hard upon the poor dear children," laughingly remarked a lady,
who overheard him: "why, surely you wouldn't deny _them_, their share of
the enjoyment of God's good creatures?"

"God's good creatures, madam! Are the wine and negus God's good
creatures?"

"Certainly they are," was the reply: "God has permitted man to
manufacture them out of the fruits of the earth, and to make them the
means of pleasurable excitement, and therefore surely we may take them
and give them as His good creatures."

Mr Tankardew made no answer, but striding up to Mary, where she sat
with a circle of little interesting faces round her, eagerly intent on
some simple story she was telling them, he said, "Miss Franklin, will
you favour me by bringing me a few of your young friends here. There,
now, my dear," (speaking to one of the little girls), "just hand me that
empty negus glass." The child did so, and Mr Tankardew, producing from
his coat pocket a considerable sized bottle, turned to the lady who had
addressed him, and said:

"Madam, will you help me to dispense some of the contents of this bottle
to these littl