Fury was running through Emma in sharp little quivers, but she managed to speak calmly. She had seemed almost afraid of Martha Jane when she first came in, but, whatever the cause of the fear, it seemed to have died down. “I reckon you know you’re very near accusing me of murder!” she replied quietly, though with glancing eyes. Martha Jane acknowledged this speech with a great scornful laugh. “Ay, well, I don’t know as I’ll trouble to bite my tongue off for it if I am!” “And me with my poor lad gone down in France!...” Emma’s lips gave a sharp tremble, and Mrs. Airey and Mrs. Dunn, who up to this point would gladly have seen her burnt at the stake, suddenly felt their own lips tremble, too. But—“He wasn’t your lad!” Martha Jane flung at her cruelly, ignoring this touching exhibition of weakness. “He was Tibbie’s lad and nobody else’s—Tibbie’s making and saving all through.” Emma’s lips trembled again, and she laughed brutally. “Nay, you can put on yon war-widow expression as much as you please, Emma Catterall! You won’t get no pity from me!... Don’t let her have ’em, Ann Clapham,” she went on swiftly, turning pleadingly to the charwoman. “Don’t now—don’t. Them poor barns with their white faces and big eyes! It’d be a blasted shame!” The sincerity of her tone seemed to put courage into the women behind, for they drew away from the wall, and came crowding about her. It was certainly a tremendous event which drew even the elegant Mrs. James to act as echo to Martha Jane. In no other cause, perhaps, would these women who disapproved of her have condescended to come to her help, but this was a matter in which all women “as _were_ women,” as Mrs. Tanner trenchantly put it, were one at heart. All women as _were_ women, Mrs. Tanner found pluck to say, couldn’t abide the thought of the children going to Emma. “You’d regret it before they were well inside t’ house,” urged Mrs. Airey, suddenly seeing whole armies of little children crowding drearily into Emma’s, and every one of them wearing the face of her own son.... “’Tisn’t everybody as is nice company for children,” was Mrs. James’ typical contribution. “Folks in charge o’ the young should have really refined minds.” “There must be some road out of it, surely!” Mrs. Dunn pommelled her flattened brain.... “Happen I might see my way to taking one on’ em myself.” “Ay, what, there’s such a thing as boarding ’em out!” Mrs. Airey supported her briskly. “There’s plenty o’ decent folk as’d take ’em for next to nowt.” “Of course, it’s a sad pity if you’ve to miss yon house,” pondered Mrs. James. “But if ever you want another, you need only ask Mr. Baines.”