him."

"I have had no opportunity to take his part, Richard," his wife
said quietly; "you have been storming without interruption since
you came in five minutes ago, and I have not uttered a single word."

"But you agree with me, Mary--you cannot but agree with me--that
it is nothing short of a scandal for the daughter of the Mayor of
Southampton to be talking to a penniless young rogue like that at
the garden gate."

"Alice should not have met him there," Mistress Anthony said;
"but seeing that she is only fourteen years old, and the boy only
sixteen, and he her second cousin, I do not see that the matter is
so very shocking."

"In four more years, Mistress Anthony," the mayor said profoundly,
"he will be twenty, and she will be eighteen."

"So I suppose, Richard; I am no great head at a figures, but even
I can reckon that. But as at present they are only fourteen and
sixteen, I repeat that I do not see that it matters--at least
not so very much. Alice, do you go to your room, and remain there
till I send for you."

The girl without a word rose and retired. In the reign of King
William the Third implicit obedience was expected of children.

"I think, Richard," Mrs. Anthony went on when the door closed behind
her daughter, "you are not acting quite with your usual wisdom in