"Oh, come in!" called Clare.
Sue shut the door behind him; then she took her mother with her to the bay-window, halted her there as if she were standing one of the naughty orphans in a corner, and looked at her in sorrowful reproval.
Mrs. Milo drew away from the touch of her daughter's hand irritably. "Now, don't glare at me like that!" she ordered. "The Rectory is not a reformatory."
"Oh, let's not take that old ruined-girl attitude!" replied Sue, impatiently. "Laura Farvel doesn't need reforming. She needs kindness and love."
"Love!" repeated Mrs. Milo, scornfully. "Do you realize that you're talking about a woman who led your own brother astray?"
"I don't know who did the leading," Sue answered quietly. "As a matter of fact, they were both very young——"
"Wallace is a good boy!"
"The less we say about Wallace in this matter the better. Why don't
you go to him, mother? He must be very unhappy. He will want advice.
And there's Mr. Balcome—shouldn't you and he take all this up with
Hattie's mother?"
"Wallace will tell Hattie. We can trust him. But I don't want you to act foolish. Is she going to bring that child to the Rectory?"
"To the home of the child's own father? Why not?"