"What a wicked old man her father must be!" Marigold cried indignantly.
"Weak and selfish he is, no doubt, but Molly loves him, and has hopes even now of reclaiming him from his sin. Oh, it is a sad case!"
"I wish mother could have seen that beautiful lace; she understands about all kinds of work, you know. When I write I must tell her about that poor lame girl, for she will be so interested. I do wish mother could get her some orders!"
"Do you think that is possible?" Miss Holcroft asked.
"I don't know, Aunt Mary; but when I write to her next I will ask her. Mother has a few private customers herself, and perhaps they might be glad to hear of someone who can make Honiton lace so beautifully as Molly Jenkins."
"The work is not so well paid for as it should be. Since machine-made lace has come into general use, and can be bought so cheaply, the lace-makers have had a bad time. I remember when I was young, even little children used to be seen sitting outside the cottage doors in the villages about here with their lace cushions on their laps."
"Oh, do you think I could learn to make Honiton lace, Aunt Mary?" Marigold asked eagerly.
"I have no doubt you could; but it strikes me you will have plenty of other work to do shortly, so that your time will be fully occupied."
"Yes," the little girl agreed; "I mean to work so hard at school."
On her arrival at home Marigold found a letter from her mother awaiting her. "Such a dear, dear letter!" she whispered to herself, as she sat by her bedroom window, reading how they were all well at home, and how much they had been interested in hearing about her new life at Exeter. Rupert was to be raised to a higher form at school this term; he was such a good, thoughtful boy, and helped his mother all he could. "Not, of course, that he can take your place, my dear little daughter," wrote Mrs. Holcroft. "I miss you every hour and minute of the day, but I am grateful to your aunts for their kindness to you, and it makes me very happy to think that you are going to school next week. You will learn much that I was unable to teach you; but there is one lesson I wish to impress upon your mind, that I hope you will ever remember before all else: 'The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His commandments.' My little girl must never forget that."