Mehetabel returned to the school, entered without a word, and seated herself by the fire.
"Have you succeeded?" asked the widow.
"How?"
"Will Farmer Colpus take you?"
"I don't know."
"What have you in your hand?"
Mehetabel opened her fingers and allowed Betty Chivers to remove from her hand a lump of ironstone.
"What are you carrying this for, Matabel?"
"I defend baby with it," she answered.
"Well, you do not need it in my house," said the dame, and placed the liver-colored lump on the table.