Alf was afraid of many things; but most of all he feared children, and was brutal to them consequently, less from cruelty, as the unimaginative conceived, than in self-defence. And the younger the child the more he feared it. The presence in the house of this tiny creature, emerging suddenly into the world from the darkness of the Beyond with its mute and mysterious message, terrified him. "Here! I'm off!" he said. "This ain't the place for me," and he left the house precipitately. Mrs. Trupp of course went to visit the young mother. Ruth in bed, nursing her babe, met her with a smile that was radiant yet wistful. "It's that different to last time," she said, and nodded at little Alice playing with her beads at the foot of the bed. "See, she'd no one--only her mother ... and you ... and Mr. Trupp. They were all against her--poor lamb!--as if it was fault of her'n." She gasped, choking back a sob.--"This'n's got em all on her side." "That's all over now, Ruth," said Mrs. Trupp gently. "I pray so, with all my heart I do," answered Ruth. "You never knaw. Seems to me some things are never over--not in this world anyways." She blinked back tears, drew her hand across her eyes, and flashed up bravely. "Silly, ain't it?" she laughed. "Only times it all come back so--what we went through, she and me. And not through any fault of mine--only foolishness like." Ruth was one of those women who are a standing vindication of our civilisation and a challenge to all who indict it. She was up and about in an incredibly short time, the firmer in body and soul for her adventure. One morning Alf came round quietly to see her. She was at the wash-tub, busy and bare-armed; and met him with eyes that were neither fearful nor defiant. "I'm not a-goin to hurt you, Ruth," he began caressingly, with a characteristic lift of his chin. "I only come to say it's all right. You got nothink against me now and I'll forget all I know about you. A bargain's a bargain. And now you've done your bit I'll do mine." The announcement, so generous in its intention, did not seem to make the expected impression. "I am a gentleman," continued Alf, leaning against the door-post. "Always ave been. It's in me blood, see? Can't help meself like even if I was to wish to." He started off on a favourite theme of his. "Lord Ravensrood--him that made that speech on the Territorials the other night in the House of Lords, he's my second cousin. I daresay if enough was to die I'd be Lord Ravensrood meself. Often whiles I remember that. I'm not like the rest of them. I got blue blood running through me veins, as Reverend Spink says. You can tell that by the look of me. I'm not the one to take advantage." Ruth, up to her elbows in soap-suds, lifted her face. "I'm not afraid o you, Alf," she said quite simply. "Now I got my Ern." The announcement annoyed Alf. He rolled his head resentfully.