wishes to triumph over me, and even to usurp my
place in ministering to my child. Was there ever such an outrage?
Such a bold, vindictive female--"

Here Jane, in a paroxysm of indignant protest, seized her mother and
began to shake her so violently that she could not speak.

"Stop that!" said Watterly, repressing laughter with difficulty. "I see
you are insane and the law will have to step in and take care of you
both."

"What will it do with us?" gasped the widow.

"Well, it ought to put you in strait jackets to begin with--"

"I've got some sense if mother aint!" cried Jane, commencing to sob.

"It's plain the law'll decide your mother's not fit to take care of
you. Anyone who can even imagine such silly ridiculous things as she's
just said must be looked after. You MAY take a notion, Mrs. Mumpson,
that I'm a murderer or a giraffe. It would be just as sensible as your
other talk."

"What does Mr. Holcroft offer?" said the widow, cooling off rapidly.
If there was an atom of common sense left in any of his pauper charges,
Watterly soon brought it into play, and his vague threatenings of law
were always awe-inspiring.

"He makes a very kind offer that you would jump at if you had sense--a
good home for your child. You ought to know she can't stay here and
live on charity if anyone is willing to take her."

"Of course I would be permitted to visit my child from time to time?
He couldn't be so monstrously hard-hearted as--"

"Oh, nonsense!" cried Watterly impatiently. "The idea of his letting
you come to his house after what you've said about him! I've no time
to waste in foolishness, or he either. He will let Jane visit you, but
you are to sign this paper and keep the agreement not to go near him or
make any trouble whatever."

"It's an abominable--"

"Tut! Tut! That kind of talk isn't allowed here. If you can't decide
like a sane woman the law'll soon decide for you."

As was always the case when Mrs. Mumpson reached the inevitable, she
yielded; the paper was signed, and Jane, who had already made up her
small bundle, nodded triumphantly to her mother and followed Watterly.
Mrs. Mumpson, on tiptoe, followed also, bent on either propitiating
Holcroft and so preparing the way for a visit, or else on giving him
once more a "piece of her mind."

"All right, Holcroft!" said Watterly, as he entered the office, "here's
the paper signed. Was there ever such an id----"

"Oh, how do you do, Mr. Holcro