and happy! A girl came to them a fortnight ago in
dreadful trouble, every one round her saying her lover
had been killed at Mons, though she herself hoped
against hope. Well, only yesterday morning they were
able to wire to her that he was safe and well, being
kindly treated too, in a fortress, far away, close to
the borders of Prussia and Poland! Wasn't that
splendid?"

"What is the address of the place," asked Mrs.
Otway in a low tone, "where Mrs. Vereker works?"

"It's in Arlington Street -- No. 20, I think."

Mrs. Otway hastened on, her heart filled with a
new, eager hope. Oh, if she could only go up now,
this evening, to London! Then she might be at 20,
Arlington Street, the first thing in the morning.

Alas, she knew that this was not possible; every
hour of the next morning was filled up.

There was no one to whom she could delegate her
morning round among those soldiers' mothers and
wives with whom she now felt in such close touch and
sympathy. But she might possibly escape the afternoon
committee meeting, at which she was due, if
Miss Forsyth would only let her off. The ladies of
Witanbury were very much under the bondage of
Miss Forsyth, and subject to her will; none more so
than the good-tempered, yielding Mary Otway.

Unluckily one of those absurd little difficulties which
are always cropping up at committees was on the
agenda for tomorrow afternoon, and Miss Forsyth
was counting on her help to quell a certain troublesome
person. Still, she might go now, on her way
home, and see if Miss Forsyth would relent.

[[212]]

p211 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p212w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p213

v?