At this moment Jane appeared, pressing her mother to take off her wet
clothes, and Mrs Crawley went with her daughter to the kitchen. The one
red-armed young girl who was their only servant was sent away, and then
the mother and the child discussed how best they might prevail on the
head of the family. 'But, mamma, it must come right; must it not?'

'I trust it will; I think it will. But I cannot see my way as yet.'

'Papa cannot have done anything wrong.'

'No, my dear; he has done nothing wrong. He has made great mistakes, it
is hard to make people understand that he has not intentionally spoken
untruths. He is ever thinking of other things, about the school, and his
sermons, and he does not remember.'

'And about how poor we are, mamma.'

'He has much to occupy his mind, and he forgets things which dwell in
the memory of other people. He said that he had got this money from Mr
Soames, and of course he thought it was so.'

'And where did he get it, mamma?'

'Ah--I wish I knew. I should have said that I had seen every shilling
that came into the house; but I know nothing of this cheque--whence it
came.'

'But will not papa tell you?'