bearing might be regarded by an ignorant and forsaken girl.
Her position as the reputable and capable mother of a family being
unassailable, no one could consider that kindness to the girl implied
any countenancing of her offence. Anne, puzzled and baffled by the
things which she had seen, felt herself in a larger sphere which could
consider the fact of birth as a small matter for everyday occurrence and
preparation, happen however it might.

"You can't do anything by worrying, Miss Hilton, you know," said Mrs
Hankworth. "You've got to wait. There's nothing _anybody_ can do but
wait. There's our John. I think he gets more nervous every child we
have. I always say to him that he can't help anything by worrying, and
in any case _I'm_ the person who's got to go through it; but it makes no
difference. He can't be satisfied till he sees me walking about again.
The girl'll be quite right when she's got the baby to work for. She's
nothing to do now but wait and think about it and herself. You'll see
when she's up and about again she'll be another thing. I hope the baby's
a boy. It'll be sooner forgotten about if he is."

"I'm afraid," said Anne, growing expansive beneath the good sense which
attacked every practical side of the matter, and dissolved difficulties
as soon as they arose, "that she'll get little work to do when she comes
out. People talk unkindly, and say that you must make a difference
between her and other girls."

"Oh! there'll always be some clever folk like that," said Mrs Hankworth,
drily. "The difference that anyone can see if they use their eyes is,
that _she'll_ have a child to keep and _they_ won't. She's no idea where
she'll go, I suppose?"

"She doesn't seem to know where she is now," replied Anne. "It's
terrible to see anybody drinking such bitter waters as that poor girl.
She thinks we're all against her, and I'm a religious old maid. So she
shuts herself up, and doesn't say a word."

"Don't you worry, Miss Hilton," said Mrs Hankworth; "she'll look for
friends when the baby comes. She'll stir herself for his sake, if she
won't for her own. We're going to have Mr Charter to stop to-morrow
night. You'll be going to the Home Missions, won't you?" she said, as if
all had been said that could be.

"It'll be a great treat to hear Mr Charter," said Anne. "He's such a
kind way of talking about everybody. It's a season of grace and sweet
delight when he comes."

"He's got such a way with children and