two young people, with a
certain curiosity. After a silence of several seconds, Sheila answered:

"Not for us, thank you; for others, you can."

Lady Malloring's eyebrows rose a little, as if there seemed to her
something rather unjust in those words--'for others.'

"Yes?" she said.

Sheila, whose hands were clenched, and whose face had been fiery red,
grew suddenly almost white.

"Lady Malloring, will you please let the Gaunts stay in their cottage
and Tryst's wife's sister come to live with the children and him?"

Lady Malloring raised one hand; the motion, quite involuntary, ended at
the tiny cross on her breast. She said quietly:

"I'm afraid you don't understand."

"Yes," said Sheila, still very pale, "we understand quite well. We
understand that you are acting in what you believe to be the interests
of morality. All the same, won't you? Do!"

"I'm very sorry, but I can't."

"May we ask why?"

Lady Malloring started, and transferred her glance to Derek.

"I don't know," she said with a smile, "that I am obliged to account for
my actions to you two young people. Besides, you must know why, quite
well."

Sheila put out her hand.

"Wilmet Gaunt will go to the bad if you turn them out."

"I am afraid I think she has gone to the bad already, and I do not mean
her to take others there with her. I am sorry for poor Tryst, and I
wish he could find some nice woman to marry; but what he proposes is
impossible."

The blood had flared up again in Sheila's cheeks; she was as red as the
comb of a turkey-cock.

"Why shouldn't he marry his wife's sister? It's legal, now, and you've
no right to stop it."

Lady Malloring bit her lips; she looked straight and hard at Sheila.

"I do not stop it; I have no means of stopping it. Only, he cannot do
it and live in one of our cottages. I don't think we need discuss this
further."

"I beg your pardon--"

The words had come from Derek. Lady Malloring paused in her walk toward
the bell. With his peculiar thin-lipped smile the boy went on:

"We imagined you would say no; we really came because we thought it fair
to warn you that there may be trouble."

Lady Malloring smiled.

"This is a private matter between us and our tenants, and we should be
so glad if you could manage not to interfere."

Derek bowed, and put his hand within his sister's arm. But Sheila did
not move; she was trembling with anger.

"Who are you," she suddenly burst out, "to dispose of the