It lies in a
comatose silence for many years and then suddenly springs to life.
Sometimes the long period of rest has strengthened it--sometimes the time
has been passed in a chrysalis stage from which Love awakens to find
itself changed into Hatred.
Little Jem, her stepson--sturdy, fair, silent--was her first failure.
"Come to your mother, dear," she said, with unguarded enthusiasm one
afternoon when there were callers in the room.
"I cannot go to my mother," replied the youthful James, with his mouth
full of cake, "because she is dead."
There was an uncompromising matter-of-factness about this simple
statement, made in all good faith and honesty, which warned the second
Mrs. Agar to press the matter no farther just then. But she was so intent
upon exhibiting to her neighbours the maternal affection which she
persuaded herself that she felt for the plain-spoken heir to Stagholme,
that she took him to task afterwards. With great care and an utter lack
of logic she devoted some hours to the instruction of Jem in the somewhat
crooked ways of her social creed.
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