quarries；　its　solid　square　mass　relieved　by　its　quaint　dormer
  windows　was　softened　from　its　primal　ugliness　by　the　Boston　ivy
  that　had　clambered　to　the　eaves　and　lay　draped　about　the　windows
  like　a　soft　green　mantle。　　Built　in　the　early　days；　it　stood　with
  the　little　church；　a　gem　of　Gothic　architecture；　within　spacious
  grounds　bought　when　land　was　cheap。　　Behind　the　house　stood　the
  stable；　built　also　of　grey　limestone；　and　at　one　side　a　cherry　and
  apple　orchard　formed　a　charming　background　to　the　grey　buildings
  with　their　crowding　shrubbery　and　gardens。　　A　gravelled　winding
  drive　led　from　the　street　through　towering　elms；　a　picturesque
  remnant　from　the　original　forest；　to　the　front　door　and　round　the
  house　to　the　stable　yard　behind。　　From　the　driveway　a　gravelled
  footpath　led　through　the　shrubbery　and　flower　garden　by　a　wicket
  gate　to　the　Church。　　When　first　built　the　Rectory　stood　in　dignified
  seclusion　on　the　edge　of　the　village；　but　the　prosperity　of　the
  growing　town　demanding　space　for　its　inhabitants　had　driven　its
  streets　far　beyond　the　Rectory　demesne　on　every　side；　till　now　it
  stood；　a　green　oasis　of　sheltered　loveliness；　amid　a　crowding　mass
  of　modern　brick　dwellings；　comfortable　enough　but　arid　of　beauty　and
  suggestive　only　of　the　utilitarian　demands　of　a　busy　manufacturing
  town。
  For　nearly　a　quarter　of　a　century　the　Rev。　Herbert　Aveling
  Templeton；　D。D。；　LL。D。；　for　whom　the　Rectory　had　been　built；　had
  ministered　in　holy　things　to　the　Parish　of　St。　Alban's　and　had
  exercised　a　guiding　and　paternal　care　over　the　social　and　religious
  well…being　of　the　community。　　The　younger　son　of　one　of　England's
  noble　families；　educated　in　an　English　Public　School　and　University；
  he　represented；　in　the　life　of　this　new；　thriving；　bustling　town；
  the　traditions　and　manners　of　an　English　gentleman　of　the　Old
  School。　　Still　in　his　early　sixties；　he　carried　his　years　with　all
  the　vigour　of　a　man　twenty　years　his　junior。　　As　he　daily　took　his
  morning　walk　for　his　mail；　stepping　with　the　brisk　pace　of　one　whose
  poise　the　years　had　not　been　able　to　disturb；　yet　with　the　stately
  bearing　consistent　with　the　dignity　attaching　to　his　position　and
  office；　men's　eyes　followed　the　tall；　handsome；　white…haired；　well
  set　up　gentleman　always　with　admiration　and；　where　knowledge　was
  intimate；　with　reverence　and　affection。　　Before　the　recent　rapid
  growth　of　the　town　consequent　upon　the　establishment　of　various
  manufacturing　industries　attracted　thither　by　the　unique　railroad
  facilities；　the　Rector's　walk　was　something　in　the　nature　of　public
  perambulatory　reception。　　For　he　knew　them　all；　and　for　all　had　a
  word　of　greeting；　of　enquiry；　of　cheer；　of　admonition；　so　that　by
  the　time　he　had　returned　to　his　home　he　might　have　been　said　to　have
  conducted　a　pastoral　visitation　of　a　considerable　proportion　of　his
  flock。　　Even　yet；　with　the　changes　that　had　taken　place；　his　walk　to
  the　Post　Office　was　punctuated　with　greetings　and　salutations　from
  his　fellow…citizens　in　whose　hearts　his　twenty…five　years　of
  devotion　to　their　well…being；　spiritual　and　physical；　had　made　for
  him　an　enduring　place。
  The　lady　of　the　Rectory；　though　some　twenty　years　his　junior；　yet；
  by　reason　of　delicate　health　due　largely　to　the　double　burden　of
  household　cares　and　parish　duties；　appeared　to　be　quite　of　equal
  age。　　Gentle　in　spirit；　frail　in　body；　there　seemed　to　be　in　her
  soul　something　of　the　quality　of　tempered　steel；　yet　withal　a
  strain　of　worldly　wisdom　mingled　with　a　strange　ignorance　of　the
  affairs　of　modern　life。　　Her　life　revolved　around　one　centre；　her
  adored　husband；　a　centre　enlarged　as　time　went　on　to　include　her
  only　son　and　her　two　daughters。　　All　others　and　all　else　in　her
  world　were　of　interest　solely　as　they　might　be　more　or　less　closely
  related　to　these；　the　members　of　her　family。　　The　town　and　the　town
  folk　she　knew　solely　as　her　husband's　parish。　　There　were　other
  people　and　other　communions；　no　doubt；　but　being　beyond　the　pale
  they　could　hardly　be　supposed　to　matter；　or；　at　any　rate；　she　could
  not　be　supposed　to　regard　them　with　more　than　the　interest　and
  spasmodic　concern　which　she　felt　it　her　duty　to　bestow　upon　those
  unfortunate　dwellers　in　partibus　infidelium。
  Regarding　the　Public　School　of　the　town　with　aversion　because　of
  its　woefully　democratic　character；　she　was　weaned　from　her
  hostility　to　that　institution　when　her　son's　name　was　entered　upon
  its　roll。　　Her　eldest　daughter；　indeed；　she　sent　as　a　girl　of
  fourteen　to　an　exclusive　English　school；　the　expense　of　which　was
  borne　by　her　husband's　eldest　brother；　Sir　Arthur　Templeton；　for
  she　held　the　opinion　that　while　for　a　boy　the　Public　School　was　an
  excellent　institution　with　a　girl　it　was　quite　different。　　Hence；
  while　her　eldest　daughter　went　〃Home〃　for　her　education；　her　boy
  went　to　the　Blackwater　Public　and　High　Schools；　which　institutions
  became　henceforth　invested　with　the　highest　qualifications　as
  centres　of　education。　　Her　boy's　friends　were　her　friends；　and　to
  them　her　house　was　open　at　all　hours　of　day　or　night。　　Indeed；　it
  became　the　governing　idea　in　her　domestic　policy　that　her　house
  should　be　the　rallying　centre　for　everything　that　was　related　in
  any　degree　to　her　children's　life。　　Hence；　she　quietly　but
  effectively　limited　the　circle　of　the　children's　friends　to　those
  who　were　able　and　were　willing　to　make　the　Rectory　their　social
  centre。　　She　saw　to　it　that　for　Herbert's　intimate　boy　friends　the
  big　play　room　at　the　top　of　the　house；　once　a　bare　and　empty　room
  and　later　the　large　and　comfortable　family　living　room；　became　the
  place　of　meeting　for　all　their　social　and　athletic　club　activities。
  With　unsleeping　vigilance　she　stood　on　guard　against　anything　that
  might　break　that　circle　of　her　heart's　devotion。　　The　circle　might
  be；　indeed　must　be　enlarged；　as　for　instance　to　take　in　the
  Maitland　boys；　Herbert's　closest　chums。　　She　was　wise　enough　to　see
  the　wisdom　of　that；　but　nothing　on　earth　would　she　allow　to　filch
  from　her　a　single　unit　of　the　priceless　treasures　of　her　heart。
  To　this　law　of　her　life　she　made　one　glorious；　one　splendid
  exception。　　When　her　country　called；　she；　after　weeks　of　silent；
  fierce；　lonely；　agonised　struggle　gave　up　her　boy　and　sent　him　with
  voiceless；　tearless　pride　to　the　War。
  But；　when　the　boy's　Colonel　wrote　in　terms　of　affectionate　pride　of
  her　boy's　glorious　passing；　with　new　and　strange　adaptability　her
  heart　circle　was　extended　to　include　her　boy's　comrades　in　war　and
  those　who　like　herself　had　sent　them　forth。　　Thenceforth　every
  khaki　covered　lad　was　to　her　a　son；　and　every　soldier's　mother　a
  friend。
  As　her　own　immediate　home　circle　grew　smaller；　the　intensity　of
  her　devotion　increased。　　Her　two　daughters　became　her　absorbing
  concern。　　With　the　modern　notion　that　a　girl　might　make　for　herself
  a　career　in　life　she　had　no　sympathy　whatever。　　To　see　them　happily
  married　and　in　homes　of　their　own　became　the　absorbing　ambition　of
  her　life。　　To　this　end　she　administered　her　social　activities；　with
  this　purpose　in　view　she　encouraged　or　discouraged　her　daughters'
  friendships　with　men。　　With　the　worldly　wisdom　of　which　she　had　her
  own　share　she　came　to　the　conclusion　that　ineligible　men　friends；
  that　is；　men　friends　unable　to　give　her　daughters　a　proper　setting
  in　the　social　world；　were　to　be　effectively　eliminated。　　That　the
  men　of　her　daughters'　choosing　should　be　gentlemen　in　breeding　went
  without　saying；　but　that　they　should　be　sufficiently　endowed　with
  wealth　to　support　a　proper　social　position　was　equally　essential。
  That　Jack　Maitland　had　somehow　dropped　out　of　the　intimate　circle
  of　friends　who　had　in　pre…war　days　made　the　Rectory　their
  headquarters　was　to　her　a　more　bitter　disappointment　than　she　cared
  to　acknowledge　even　to　herself。　　Her　son　and　the　two　Maitland　boys
  had　been　inseparable　in　their　school　and　college　days；　and　with　the
  two　young　men　her　daughters　had　been　associated　in　the　very　closest
  terms　of　comradeship。　　But　somehow　Captain　Jack　Maitland　after　the
  first　months　succeeding　his　return　from　the　war　had　drawn　apart。
  Disappointed；　perplexed；　hurt；　she　vainly　had　striven　to　restore
  the　old　footing　between　the　young　man　and　her　daughters。　　Young
  Maitland　had　taken　up　his　medical　studies　for　a　few　months　at　his
  old　University　in　Toronto　and　so　had　been　out　of　touch　with　the
  social　life　of　his　home　town。　　Then　after　he　had　〃chucked〃　his
  course　as　impossible　he　had　at　his　father's　earnest　wish　taken　up
  work　at　the　mills；　at　first　in　the　office；　later　in　the　manufacturing
  department。　　There　was　something　queer　in　Jack's　attitude　toward　his
  old　life　and　its　associations；　and　after　her　first　failures　in
  attempting　to　restore　the　old　relationship　her　eldest　daughter's
  pride　and　then　her　own　forbade　further　efforts。
  Adrien；　her　eldest　daughter；　had　always　been　a　difficult　child；　and
  her　stay　in　England　and　later　her　experience　in　war　work　in　France
  where　for　three　years　she　had　given　rare　service　in　hospital　work
  had　somehow　made　her　even　more　inaccessible　to　her　mother。　　And
  now　the　situation　had　been　rendered　more　distressing　by　her
  determination　〃to　find　something　to　do。〃　　She　was　firm　in　her
  resolve　tha