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a　small　room　with　two　men；　that　they　all　took　off　their　clothes　（he　remembered　that　one　man；　very　stout　and　red；　looked　funny　without　his　clothes）；　that　they　put　on　long　white　night…shirts；　that　his　was　too　long　for　him　and　that　he　tripped　over　it；　that　they　all　three　walked　down　the　centre　of　the　Chapel；　which　was　filled　with　eyes；　mouths　and　boots；　and　that　he　was　very　conscious　of　his　toe…nails；　which　had　never　been　exposed　in　public　before；　that　they　came　to　a　round　stone　place　filled　with　water　and　into　this　after　the　two　men　he　was　dipped；　that　he　didn't　scream　from　the　coldness；　of　the　water　although　he　wanted　to；　that　he　was　wrapped　in　a　blanket　and　finally　carried　home　in　an　ecstasy　of　triumph。

What　happiness　followed！　The　vitality　of　it　swept　down　upon　him　now；　so　that　he　seemed　never　to　have　lived　since　then。　He　was　the　chosen　of　God　and　every　one　knew　it。　What　a　little　prig　and　yet　how　simple　it　had　all　been；　without　any　consciousness　of　insincerity　or　acting　on　his　part。　God　had　chosen　him　and　there　he　was；　for　ever　and　ever　safe　and　happy。

It　was　not　only　that　he　was　assured　that　when　the　moment　arrived　he　would　have；　in　Heaven；　a　〃good　time〃it　was　that　he　was　greatly　exalted；　so　that　he　gave　his　twopence　a　week　pocket…money　to　his　school…fellows；　never　pulled　Amy's　hair；　never　teased　his　mother's　canary。　He　had　been　aware；　young　though　he　was；　of　another　life。　He　prayed　and　prayed；　he　went　to　an　endless　succession　of　services　and　meetings。　There　was　Mr。　Bates；　one　of　the　leading　brethren　then；　who　loved　him　and　spoilt　him　。　。　。　above　all；　through　and　beyond　it　all；　there　was　his　father；　who　adored　him　and　whom　he　adored。

That　adorationof　God；　of　his　father；　of　life　itself！　Was　it　possible　that　a　small　boy；　normal　and　ordinary　enough　in　other　ways；　could　feel　so　intensely　such　passions？

The　dark　room　was　crowding　him　with　figures　and　scenes。　A　whole　world　that　he　had　thought　dead　and　withered　was　beatingurgently；　insistently；　upon　his　consciousness。

In　another　instant　he　did　not　know　what　surrender；　what　acknowledgement　he　might　have　made。　It　seemed　to　him　that　nothing　in　life　was　worth　while　save　to　receive　again；　in　some　fashion；　that　vitality　that　he　had　once　known。

The　door　was　flung　open；　a　stream　of　light　struck　the　dark；　the　shadows；　memories；　fled；　helter…skelter；　like　crackling　smoke　into　the　air。

Amy　stood　in　the　doorway；　blinking　at　him；　scowling。　He　knew；　for　some　undefined　reason；　that　he　could　not　meet　his　father's　eyes。　He　jumped　up　and　walked　to　the　window。




CHAPTER　II

EXPECTATION


Maggie　developed　marvellously　during　her　first　weeks　in　London。　It　could　not　truthfully　be　said　that　her　aunts　gave　her　great　opportunity　for　development；　so　far　as　they　were　concerned　she　might　as　well　have　been　back　in　the　green　seclusion　of　St。　Dreots。

It　is　true　that　she　accompanied　her　Aunt　Elizabeth　upon　several　shopping　expeditions；　and　on　one　hazardous　afternoon　they　penetrated　the　tangled　undergrowth　of　Harrods'　Stores；　on　all　these　occasions　Maggie　was　too　deeply　occupied　with　the　personal　safety　and　happiness　of　her　aunt　to　have　leisure　for　many　observations。

Aunt　Elizabeth　always　started　upon　her　shopping　expeditions　with　the　conviction　that　something　terrible　was　about　to　happen；　and　the　expectation　of　this　overwhelming　catastrophe　paralysed　her　nerves。　Maggie　wondered　how　it　could　have　been　with　her　when　she　had　ventured　forth　alone。　She　would　stand　in　the　middle　of　the　street　hesitating　as　to　the　right　omnibus　for　her　to　take；　she　was　often　uncertain　of　the　direction　in　which　she　should　go。　She　would　wave　her　umbrella　at　an　omnibus；　and　then　when　it　began　to　slacken　in　answer　to　her　appeal；　would　discover　that　it　was　not　the　one　that　she　needed；　and　would　wave　her　umbrella　furiously　once　more。　Then　when　at　last　she　had　mounted　the　vehicle　she　would　flood　the　conductor　with　a　stream　of　little　questions；　darting　her　eyes　angrily　at　all　her　neighbours　as　though　they　were　gathered　there　together　to　murder　her　at　the　earliest　opportunity。　She　would　be　desperately　confused　when　asked　to　pay　for　her　ticket；　would　be　unable　to　find　her　purse；　and　then　when　she　discovered　it　would　scatter　its　contents　upon　the　ground。　In　such　an　agony　would　she　be　at　the　threatened　passing　of　her　destination　that　she　would　spring　up　at　every　pause　of　the　omnibus；　striking　her　nearest　neighbour's　eye　or　nose　with　her　umbrella；　apologising　nervously；　and　then；　because　she　thought　she　had　been　too　forward　with　a　stranger；　staring　fiercely　about　her　and　daring　any　one　to　speak　to　her。　Upon　the　day　that　she　visited　Harrods'　she　spent　the　greater　part　of　her　time　in　the　lift　because　she　always　wished　to　be　somewhere　where　she　was　not；　and　because　it　always　went　up　when　she　wished　it　to　go　down　and　down　when　she　wished　it　to　go　up。　Maggie；　upon　this　eventful　occasion；　did　her　best；　but　she　also　was　bewildered；　and　wondered　how　any　of　the　attendants　found　their　way　home　at　night。　Before　the　end　of　the　afternoon　Aunt　Elizabeth　was　not　far　from　tears。　〃It　isn't　cutlery　we　want。　I　told　the　man　that　it　was　saucepans。　They　pay　us　no　attention　at　all。　You　aren't　any　help　to　me；　Maggie。〃　They　arrived　in　a　room　filled　with　performing　gramophones。　This　was　the　final　blow。　Aunt　Elizabeth；　trembling　all　over；　refused　either　to　advance　or　retreat。　〃Will　you　please；〃　said　Maggie　very　firmly　to　a　beautifully　clothed　young　man　with　hair　like　a　looking…glass；　〃show　us　the　way　to　the　street？〃　He　very　kindly　showed　them；　and　it　was　not　until　they　were　in　the　homeward　omnibus　that　Aunt　Elizabeth　discovered　that　she　had　bought　nothing　at　all。

Nevertheless；　although　Maggie　collected　but　little　interesting　detail　from　these　occasions；　she　did　gather　a　fine　general　impression　of　whirling　movement　and　adventure。　One　day　she　would　plunge　into　itmeanwhile　it　was　better　that　she　should　move　slowly　and　assemble　gradual　impressions。　The　solid　caution　that　was　mingled　in　her　nature　with　passionate　feeling　and　enthusiasm　taught　her　admirable　wisdom。　Aunt　Anne；　it　seemed；　never　moved　beyond　the　small　radius　of　her　home　and　the　Chapel。　She　attended　continually　Bible…　meetings；　prayer…meetings；　Chapel　services。　She　had　one　or　two　intimate　friends；　a　simple　and　devout　old　maid　called　Miss　Pyncheon；　Mr。　Magnus；　whom　Maggie　had　seen　on　the　day　of　her　arrival；　Mr。　Thurston；　to　whom　Maggie　had　taken　an　instant　dislike；　and　Amy　Warlock。　She　visited　these　people　and　they　visited　her；　for　the　rest　she　seemed　to　take　no　exercise；　and　her　declared　love　for　the　country　did　not　lead　her　into　the　Parks。　She　was　more　silent；　if　possible；　than　she　had　been　at　St。　Dreots；　and　read　to　herself　a　great　deal　in　the　dark　and　melancholy　drawing…room。　Although　she　talked　very　little　to　Maggie；　the　girl　fancied　that　her　eye　was　always　upon　her。　There　was　a　strange　attitude　of　watchfulness　in　her　silent　withdrawal　from　her　scene　as　though　she　had　retired　simply　because　she　could　see　the　better　from　a　distance。

She　liked　Maggie　to　read　the　Bible　to　her；　and　for　an　hour　of　every　evening　Maggie　did　this。　For　some　reason　the　girl　greatly　disliked　this　hour　and　dreaded　its　approach。　It　was　perhaps　because　it　seemed　to　bring　before　her　the　figure　of　her　father；　the　words　as　they　fell　from　her　lips　seemed　to　be　repeated　by　him　as　he　stood　behind　her。　Nothing　was　more　unexpected　by　her　than　the　way　that　those　last　days　at　St。　Dreots　crowded　about　her。　They　should　surely　have　been　killed　by　the　colours　and　interests　of　this　new　life。　It　appeared　that　they　were　only　accentuated　by　them。　Especially　did　she　see　that　night　when　she　had　watched　beside　her　father's　dead　body　。　。　。　she　saw　the　stirring　of　the　beard；　the　shape　of　the　feet　beneath　the　sheet；　the　flicker　of　the　candle。　Apart　from　this　one　hour　of　the　day；　however；　she　was　happy；　excited；　expectant。　What　it　was　that　she　expected　she　did　not　exactly　know；　but　there　were　so　many　things　that　life　might　now　do　for　her。　One　thing　that　very　evidently　it　did　not　intend　to　do　for　her　was　to　make　her　tidy；　careful；　and　a　good　manager。　Old　Martha；　the　Cardinal　servant；　was　her　sworn　enemy；　and；　indeed；　with　reason。　It　seemed　that　Maggie　could　not　remember　the　things　that　she　was　told：　lighted　lamps　were　left　long　after　they　should　have　been　extinguished；　one　night　the　bathroom　was　drowned　in　water　by　a　running　tap；　her　clothes　were　not　mended；　she　was　never　punctual　at　meal…times。　And　yet　no　one　could　call　her　a　dreamy　child。　She　could；　about　things　that　interested　her；　be　remarkably　sharp　and　penetrating。　She　had　a　swift　and　often　successful　intuition　about　characters；　facts　and　details　about　places　or　people　she　never　forgot。　She　had　a　hard；　severe；　entirely　masculine　sense　of　independence；　an　ironic　contempt　for　sentimentality；　a　warm；　ardent　loyalty　and　simplicity　in　friendship。　Her　carelessness　in　all　the　details　of　life　sprang　from　her　long　muddled　years　at　St。　Dreots；　the　lack　of　a　mother's　guidance　and　education；　the　careless　selfishness　of　her　father's　disregard　of　her。　She　struggled；　poor　child；　passionately　to　improve　herself。　She　sat　for　hours　in　her　room　working　at　her　clothes；　trying　to　mend　her　stockings；　the　holes　in　her　blouses；　the　rip　of　the　braid　at　the　bottom　of　her　skirt。　She　waited　listening　for　the　cuckoo　to　call　that　she　might　be　in　exact　time　for　luncheon　or　dinner；　and　then；　as　she　listened；　some　thought　would　occur　to　her；　and；　although　she　did　not　dream；　her　definite　tracking　of　her　idea　would　lead　her　to　forget　all　time。　Soon　there　would　be　Martha's　knock　on　the　door　and　her　surly　ill…tempered　voice：

〃Quarter　of　an　hour　they've　been　sitting　at　luncheon；　Miss。〃

And　her　clothes！　The　aunts　had　said　that　she　must　buy　what　was　necessary；　and　she　had　gone　with　Aunt　Elizabeth　to　choose　all　the　right　things。　They　had；　between　them；　bought　all　the　wrong　ones。　Maggie　had　no　idea　of　whether　or　no　something　suited　her；　a　dress；　a　hat　that　would　look　charming　upon　any　one　else　looked　terrible　upon　her；　she　did　not　know　what　was　the　matter；　but　nothing　became　her！

Her　new　friend；　Caroline　Smith；　laughing　and　chattering；　tried　to　help　her。　Caroline　had　very　definite　ideas　about　dress；　and　indeed　spent　the　majority　of　her　waking　hours　in　contemplation　of　that　subject。　But　she　had　never；　she　declared；　been