very cab. Never had she known a heart to act as hers was acting now--
thumping as if it would burst, first quickly then slowly. Perhaps Miss
Humfray would feel it, and give her opinion.

Where the girl now laid her small hand five infant Chaters had been
nourished; the massive bosom was advertisement that they had done
well. Beneath the mingled gusts of hysteria and of wrath it violently
contracted and dilated; but the heart, terrificly though Mrs. Chater
said it throbbed, lay too deep to be discerned.

The agitated woman panted, "Can it go on like that?"

"I'm afraid I hardly--" Miss Humfray shifted her hand.

"_Stupid!_ Take off your glove!"

The white kid clung to the warm flesh. Nervous and clumsy the girl
struggled with it.

"Miss _Humfray!_ How slow you are! _Pull_ it!"

Mrs. Chater grabbed the turned-back wrist. A crack answered the jerk,
and the glove split away in her hand. "_There!_ Not my fault. Next
time, perhaps, you will buy gloves sufficiently large. Oh, my poor
heart! Now, feel. _Press!_"

The girl bit her lip. Humiliation lumped in her throat. She pressed,
as bid, into that heaving blouse; said she could feel it. It was not
very violent, she. thought. Perhaps if Mrs. Chater lay back and closed
her eyes--