Isabella Gell, a sour-faced young woman, came into the room and stood behind her mother's chair. Mrs. Collister took the seat that was assigned to her, and fumbled the ribbons of her bonnet to loosen them. "It's about my daughter, ma'am." "Well?" "My daughter and your son, ma'am." "Eh?" "Cæsar Qualtrough of the Kays has seen them together. They're living down Castletown way, they're saying." "Living .... my son and your daughter?" "So they're saying, ma'am." "I don't believe it! I don't believe a word of it!" "I wish in my heart I could say the same, ma'am. But it's truth enough, I'm fearing." "And if it is--I don't say it is, but if it is--why have you come to me?" Then trembling all over, Mrs. Collister continued her story. Her poor girl was in trouble. When a girl was in trouble the world could be cruel hard on her. Nobody would think the cruel hard it could be. If a girl did wrong it was because somebody she was fond of had promised to marry her. What else would she do it for? When a young man had behaved like that to a poor girl he ought to keep his word to her. And if he had a mother, and she was a good Christian woman.... Mrs. Gell, who was beating her foot on the carpet, broke in impatiently. "In short, you think my son ought to marry your daughter?" "It's nothing but right, ma'am." "And you've come here to ask me to tell him to do so?" "If you plaze, ma'am." "Well, I never!" said Isabella. "She's a mother herself, I was thinking, and if one of her own girls was in the same position...." "The idea!" said Isabella. "Mrs. Collister," said Mrs. Gell, with a proud lift of her head, "I was sorry when I heard of the trouble your daughter had brought on you, but what you are doing now is a piece of great assurance." "But Bessie is a good girl, ma'am. And if she married your son you would never have raison to be ashamed of her." "Good indeed! If a girl isn't ashamed to be living with a young man the less said about her goodness the better." "Aw well, ma'am," said Mrs. Collister (her faltering tongue had become firmer and her timid eyes had begun to flash), "if she's living with the young man, he's living with her, and the shame is the same for both, I'm thinking." Mrs. Gell drew herself up in her chair. "I'm astonished at you, Mrs. Collister! A woman yourself, and not seeing the difference." "Aw yes, difference enough, ma'am! And when a young man doesn't keep his word it's the woman that's knowing it best by the trouble that's coming on her." Mrs. Gell, whose anger was rising, lifted her chin again and said, "If your daughter is in trouble, Mrs. Collister, how are we to know that she had not brought it on her own head, just to get Alick to marry her?" "The creature!" said Isabella. "And how are we to know that you and your husband have not encouraged the girl in her wickedness just to get our son for your son-in-law?"