ined at once that she would not denounce him.
There are many things which such a woman will do to gain such an
object. She could smile when Tappitt was offensive; she could smile
again when Mrs. Tappitt talked like a kitchenmaid. She could flatter
them both, and pretend to talk seriously with them about Jews and her
own Church feelings. She could have given up to them Luke Rowan,--if
he had stood alone. But she could not give up the girl she had
chaperoned, and upon whom, during that chaperoning, her good-will and
kindly feelings had fallen. Rachel had pleased her eye, and gratified
her sense of feminine nicety. She felt that a word said against Rowan
would be a word said also against Rachel; and therefore, throwing
her husband over for the nonce, she resolved to sacrifice the vote
and stand up for her friend. "Well, yes; I do," said she, meeting
Tappitt's eye steadily. She was not going to be looked out of
countenance by Mr. Tappitt.

"She thinks he'll come back to marry that young woman at Bragg's
End," said Mrs. Tappitt; "but I say that he'll never dare to show his
face in Baslehurst again."

"That young woman is making a great fool of herself," said Tappitt,
"if she trusts to a swindler like him."

"Perhaps, Mrs. Tappitt," said Mrs. Cornbury, "we needn't mind
discussing Miss Ray. It's not good to talk about a young lady in that
way, and I'm sure I never said that I thought she was engaged to
Mr. Rowan. Had I done so I should have been very wrong, for I know
nothing about it. What little I saw of the gentleman I liked;" and as
she used the word gentleman she looked Tappitt full in the face; "and
for Miss Ray, I've a great regard for her, and think very highly of
her. Independently of her acknowledged beauty and pleasant, ladylike
manners, she's a very charming girl. About the vote, Mr. Tappitt--;
at any rate you'll think of it."

But had he not been defied in his own house? And as for her, the
mother of those three finely educated girls, had not every word said
in Rachel's favour been a dagger planted in her own maternal bosom?
Whose courage would not have risen under such provocation?

Mrs. Cornbury had got up to go, but the indignant, injured Tappitts
resolved mutually, though without concert, that she should be
answered.

"I'm an honest man, Mrs. Cornbury," said the brewer, "and I like
to speak out my mind openly. Mr. Hart is a liberal, and I mean to
support my party. Will you tell Mr. Cornbury so with my