"They haven't told her, after all," he thought, and a faint spark of gratitude arose in his heart. "And she ain't one of the long-faced kind, either," he said to himself, as he glanced at her cheerful face. There was a good deal of bustle after breakfast about getting the children off to school. One fretted about her luncheon; another at being directed to wear overshoes because he had a cold. "Mamma," said the eldest daughter, "I'm going to have some girls to lunch next Saturday. And I don't want any of _you_ in the room, either." At this exhibition Mrs. Thayer blushed. She found it not so pleasant to have the children betray themselves to Mrs. Grey present, who was quite another person to Mrs. Grey absent. Two or three little altercations arose, meantime, between the children. "I don't see why you should have lunch all to yourself," said Julia, a girl of ten. "Well, it's enough that I see it," retorted Esther. "Mamma won't let you, I know; will you, mamma?" "I've got to have an excuse for tardiness," said Esther, turning to her mother. "Another excuse? I've a good mind not to give you any. Now, I can't have this. It is the third time this week." And so on, and so on. When they were fairly off, Mrs. Thayer burst into tears of mingled shame and pain. "You see how it is," she said. "Esther regards us as natural enemies, whom she cannot allow to share her interests. And her love of dress tries me, too. And there is Julia following in her steps. If it were not for the younger children I should have no comfort. It is strange that they should degenerate so; in their nursery I saw very little of the unlovely traits they are developing now." "Well, now, Mrs. Grey, have you any counsel to give us?" asked Mr. Thayer. "We are ready to bear reproof and to amend our ways if you can suggest a change." Mrs. Grey replied, very earnestly, "It is not so much outward change that you two need, as a new deep-seated principle within. I think you have dealt with your children too much on the outside. The first thing to _require_ is obedience. The first thing for them to _acquire_ is tenderness of conscience. All the lectures, and all the chastisements in the world will come to naught if this is lacking. A moment's reflection will show you that a time will come when parental law must cease, and that they must then become a law unto themselves. The best lock and key, the best bar and bolt, is conscience. Now we will allow that you have partially erred in this regard; what is the remedy for that and every other error? I maintain that the only remedy is prayer. The Divine hand can overrule your mistakes; no other can." Mr. and Mrs. Thayer maintained an embarrassed silence. At last Mrs. Thayer said: "Perhaps you have laid the axe to the root of all our difficulties. I do not think we have realized our human insufficiency till quite lately."