But yet there was her duty! As she sat there looking out into the garden indistinct ideas of what were a mother's duties to her child lay heavy on her mind,--ideas which were very indistinct, but which were not on that account the less powerful in their operation. She knew that it behoved her to sacrifice everything to her child's welfare, but she did not know what special sacrifice she was at this moment called upon to make. Would it be well that she should leave this matter altogether in the hands of Mrs. Prime, and thus, as it were, abdicate her own authority? Mrs. Prime would undertake such a task with much more skill and power of language than she could use. But then would this be fair to Rachel, and would Rachel obey her sister? Any explicit direction from herself,--if only she could bring herself to give any,--Rachel would, she thought, obey. In this way she resolved that she would break the ice and do her duty. "Are you going into Baslehurst this evening, dear?" she said. "Yes, mamma; I shall walk in after tea;--that is if you don't want me. I told the Miss Tappitts I would meet them." "No; I shan't want you. But Rachel--" "Well, mamma?" Mrs. Ray did not know how to do it. The matter was surrounded with difficulties. How was she to begin, so as to introduce the subject of the young man without shocking her child and showing an amount of distrust which she did not feel? "Do you like those Miss Tappitts?" she said. "Yes;--in a sort of a way. They are very good-natured, and one likes to know somebody. I think they are nicer than Miss Pucker." "Oh, yes;--I never did like Miss Pucker myself. But, Rachel--" "What is it, mamma? I know you've something to say, and that you don't half like to say it. Dolly has been telling tales about me, and you want to lecture me, only you haven't got the heart. Isn't that it, mamma?" Then she put down her work, and coming close up to her mother, knelt before her and looked up into her face. "You want to scold me, and you haven't got the heart to do it." "My darling, my darling," said the mother, stroking her child's soft smooth hair. "I don't want to scold you;--I never want to scold you. I hate scolding anybody." "I know you do, mamma." "But they have told me something which has frightened me." "They! who are they?" "Your sister told me, and Miss Pucker told her." "Oh, Miss Pucker! What business has Miss Pucker with me? If she is to come between us all our happiness will be over." Then Rachel rose from her knees and began to look angry, whereupon her mother was more frightened than ever. "But let me hear it, mamma. I've no doubt it is something very awful." Mrs. Ray looked at her daughter with beseeching eyes, as though praying to be forgiven for having introduced a subject so disagreeable. "Dorothea says that on Wednesday evening you were walking under the churchyard elms with--that young man from the brewery."