"I'll call him Gerald, if you like," Susie said, phlegmatically. "Her

ladyship was saying that he ought to be christened."

"Of course," said Celia; "and I'd like to be his godmother, if you'll

let me?"

Susie swung round, her lips parted, her brows bent, and her eyes fixed

on Celia's upturned face.

"You!" she said, as if she were panting. "You'll be a godmother to--him?

And you know what he is--what I am? Her ladyship has told you?"

"Yes," said Celia, in a low voice.

"And you come here to me: you offer to--to do this! Don't you know that

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I was driven from my place, the place in which I was born, that every

woman I've met, excepting her ladyship, would like to throw a stone at

me? Why are you different from the others?"

"I don't know," said Celia, simply. "Perhaps it's because Lady

Gridborough told me the whole story. But I'm--you see, I'm young, like

yourself; and though I've mixed in the world, perhaps I haven't learnt

to feel hardly as some of the folks you speak of do. I was going to say

that I pity you, Susie; but I won't say that. I like you, I like to see

you when you're looking at the child."

Susie turned away, her bosom heaving; there were no tears in her eyes,

she had already wept them dry.

"And you mustn't look at me as if I were a stranger, as if I had come to

see you out of impertinent curiosity only; I want to come to see you

very often. I'm in love with Gerald--it is to be Gerald, isn't

it?--already. And it will be such a pleasure to me to run in and see him

as often as I can; indeed, I must look after him; I shall be his second

mother, you see; and between us, we'll train him up in the way he should

go, and make a good man of him."

She was smiling now; but there were tears in her eyes, though Susie's

were still dry.

"I can't resist you," said Susie, at last. "I know it's wrong that you

should be mixed up with one like me. Your friends----"

"Haven't any friends," said Celia, lightly. "I mean, friends that would

interfere with me; and if I had, I should not let them do so. I'm alone

in the world, like yourself, Susie; and I'm my own mistress. Come, say

'Yes.'"




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