t of her; but
there's no end to the folly of the human heart, is there, now? I wish she
was a Catholic and had a priest to make her take shame to herself; but
there's no hold one has over her as it is, for she won't say a word to me
beyond 'Yes' and 'No,' and 'Take him away, please, he tires me.' I nearly
told her she'd a right not to be so easily tired by her own son now she's
getting her health. But there, she's a poor frail thing and one can't
speak roughly to her for fear she breaks in two."

Hilary said, "After all, there's no great cause for rejoicing in a man's
being born into the world to trouble; I suppose she feels that. It will
make it more difficult than ever for them and for us to make both ends
meet."

"Oh, meet," groaned Peggy, "that's not what there's any thought of their
doing in these days, my dear. If one can bring them within a mile of one
another, one's thankful for small mercies."

Hilary rested his head on his hand and sighed.

"Have you spoken to Peter yet about appealing to the Urquharts?" he
asked.

"Darling, I have not, and I'm not going to. Why should I annoy the poor
child to no purpose? He'll not appeal to the Urquharts, we know that
well, and I'm not going to waste my breath. I'd far rather--"

"What?" asked Hilary, as she paused.

"Oh well, I don't know. Don't you worry about ways and means; something
will surely turn up before long." Peggy was an optimist.

"And anyhow," went on Peggy, to change the subject from ways and means,
which was a depressing one, "isn't our little Peter a darling with his
baby? I love to see them together. He washes it himself as often as
not, you know; only he can't always catch it again when it slips through
his hands, and that worries him. He's dreadfully afraid of its getting
drowned or spoilt or lost or something."

"It probably will," said Hilary, who was a pessimist. "Peter is no hand
at keeping things. We are not a fortunate family."

"Never mind, darling; we've kept three; and more by token Kitty _must_
have a new pair of boots this winter; she's positively indecent the way
she goes about now. I can't help it, Hilary; you must pawn your ring
again or something."

Peggy didn't want to say anything else depressing, so she didn't mention
that Miss Matthews had that morning given notice of her departure. But in
Peggy's own mind there was a growing realisation that something drastic
must really be done soon.

October went by. When Peter knew t