maturity, once,
the child's readiness to believe its parents infallible, and would not
any other indoctrination have held as firmly? Even so the rather
childish minds of Dave's guardians made no question of the credibility
of the tale, coming as it did from such an informant--one without a
shadow of interest in the fabrication of it.

Aunt M'riar made no attempt at anything beyond mere exclamation; until,
after the second detailed review of the facts, Gwen was taken aback by
her saying suddenly:--"Won't it be a'most cruel, when you come to think
of it?..."

"Won't what be cruel, Aunt M'riar?"

"For to tell 'em. Two such very elderly parties, and all the time gone
by! _I_ say, let the rest go! I should think twice about it. But it
ain't for me to say." She seemed to have a sudden inspiration towards
decision of opinion, a thing rare with her. It was due, no doubt, to her
own recent experience of an unwelcome resurrection from the Past.

"'Tain't any consarn of ours to choose, M'riar. Just you go over to
their side o' the hedge for a minute. Suppose you was Goody Prichard,
and Goody Prichard was you!"

"Well! Suppose!"

"Which would you like? Her to bottle up, or tell?" Aunt M'riar wavered.
A momentary hope of Gwen's, that perhaps Aunt M'riar's way out of the
difficulty might hold good, died at its birth, killed by Uncle Mo's
question.

Which _would_ Gwen have liked, herself, in Mrs. Prichard's place? Aunt
M'riar was evidently looking to her for an answer.

"I'm afraid there's no help for it, Aunt Maria," said she. "She _must_
be told. But don't be afraid I shall leave the telling to you. I shall
go back and tell her myself in a day or two."

"Will she come back here?" This question raised a new doubt. Would
either of the two old twins care to leave the other, after that
formidable disclosure had been achieved? It was looking too far ahead.
Gwen felt that the evil of the hour was sufficient for the day, or
indeed the next three weeks for that matter, and evaded the question
with an answer to that effect.

Then, as no more was to be gained by talking, seeing that she could not
give all her proofs in detail, she suggested that she should go up to
Mrs. Prichard's room to say good-bye to Dave and Dolly. Promises could
not be ignored between honourable people. Uncle Mo and Aunt M'riar
quite concurred. "But," said they, almost in the same breath, "are the
children to know?"

Gwen had not considered the point. "N