treating this matter in so serious a light, and in putting ideas
into the girl's head which would probably never have entered there
otherwise. Of course Alice is fond of Jack. It is only natural
that she should be, seeing that he is her second cousin, and that
for two years they have lived together under this roof."

"I was a fool, Mistress Anthony," the mayor said angrily, "ever to
yield to your persuasions in that matter. It was unfortunate, of
course, that the boy's father, the husband of your Cousin Margaret,
should have been turned out of his living by the Sectarians,
as befell thousands of other clergymen besides him. It was still
more unfortunate that when King Charles returned he did not get
reinstated; but, after all, that was Margaret's business and not
mine; and if she was fool enough to marry a pauper, and he well nigh
old enough to be her father--well, as I say, it was no business
of mine."

"He was not a pauper, Richard, and you know it; and he made enough
by teaching to keep him and Margaret comfortably till he broke
down and died three years ago, and poor Margaret followed him to
the grave a year later. He was a good man--in every way a good
man."

"Tut, tut! I am not saying he wasn't a good man. I am only saying
that, good or bad, it was no business of mine; and then nothing
will do but I must send for the boy and put him in my business. And
a nice mess he made of it--an idler, more careless apprentice,
no cloth merchant, especially one who stood well with his fellow
citizens, and who was on the highway to becoming mayor of his native
city, was ever crossed with."