"Can I do anything for you?" And while she waited for an answer her
glance travelled from face to face of the two young people, with a
certain curiosity. After a silence of several seconds, Sheila answered:

"Not for us, thank you; for others, you can."

Lady Malloring's eyebrows rose a little, as if there seemed to her
something rather unjust in those words--'for others.'

"Yes?" she said.

Sheila, whose hands were clenched, and whose face had been fiery red,
grew suddenly almost white.

"Lady Malloring, will you please let the Gaunts stay in their cottage
and Tryst's wife's sister come to live with the children and him?"

Lady Malloring raised one hand; the motion, quite involuntary, ended at
the tiny cross on her breast. She said quietly:

"I'm afraid you don't understand."

"Yes," said Sheila, still very pale, "we understand quite well. We
understand that you are acting in what you believe to be the interests
of morality. All the same, won't you? Do!"

"I'm very sorry, but I can't."

"May we ask why?"