IX.

MISS NORA ROWLEY IS MALTREATED.

Hugh Stanbury, when he reached the parsonage, found no difficulty
in making his way into the joint presence of Mrs. Outhouse, Mrs.
Trevelyan, and Nora. He was recognised by the St. Diddulph's party
as one who had come over to their side, as a friend of Trevelyan
who had found himself constrained to condemn his friend in spite of
his friendship, and was consequently very welcome. And there was
no difficulty about giving the address. The ladies wondered how it
came to pass that Mr. Trevelyan's letters should be sent to such
a locality, and Hugh expressed his surprise also. He thought it
discreet to withhold his suspicions about Mr. Bozzle, and simply
expressed his conviction that letters sent in accordance with the
directions given by the club-porter would reach their destination.
Then the boy was brought down, and they were all very confidential
and very unhappy together. Mrs. Trevelyan could see no end to the
cruelty of her position, and declared that her father's anger against
her husband was so great that she anticipated his coming with almost
more of fear than of hope. Mrs. Outhouse expressed an opinion that
Mr. Trevelyan must surely be mad; and Nora suggested that the
possibility of such perversity on the part of a man made it almost
unwise in any woman to trust herself to the power of a husband. "But
there are not many like him, thank God," said Mrs. Outhouse, bridling
in her wrath. Thus they were very friendly together, and Hugh
was allowed to feel that he stood upon comfortable terms in the
parsonage;--but he did not as yet see how he was to carry out his
project for the present day.

At last Mrs. Trevelyan went away with the child. Hugh felt that he
ought to go, but stayed courageously. He thought he could perceive
that Nora suspected the cause of his assiduity; but it was quite
evident that Mrs. Outhouse did not do so. Mrs. Outhouse, having
reconciled herself to the young man, was by no means averse to his
presence. She went on talking about the wickedness of Trevelyan, and
her brother's anger, and the fate of the little boy, till at last the
little boy's mother came back into the room. Then Mrs. Outhouse went.
They must excuse her for a few minutes, she said. If only she would
have gone a few minutes sooner, how well her absence might have been
excused. Nora understood it all now; and though she became almost
breathless, she was not surprised, when Hugh got up from h