read," said the child. "It makes me laugh!"'

'Probably she knew nothing of the real meaning of it all,' said Mr.
Newthorpe.

'On the contrary, she understood the tendency of the paper
surprisingly well; her father had explained everything to the
family.'

'One of the interesting results of popular education,' remarked Mr.
Newthorpe philosophically. 'It is inevitable.'

'What did Mrs. Ormonde do?' Annabel asked.

'It was a difficult point. No good would have been done by
endeavouring to set the child against her father; she would be home
again in a fortnight. So Mrs. Ormonde simply asked if she might have
the paper when it was done with, and, having got possession, threw
it into the fire with vast satisfaction. Happily it didn't come
again.'

'What a gross being that father must be!' Annabel exclaimed.

'Gross enough,' Egremont replied, 'yet I shouldn't wonder if he had
brains above the average in his class. A mere brute wouldn't do a
thing of that kind; ten to one he honestly believed that he was
benefiting the girl; educating her out of superstition.'

'But why should the poor people be left to such ugly-minded
teachers?' Annabel exclaimed. 'Surely those influences may be