’Yes.  She has relations with sundry hospitals and the like.  By-the-by, she told me one remarkable story.  A short time ago out of eight children that were in the house only one could read—­a little girl of ten—­and this one regularly received letters from home.  Now there came for her what seemed to be a small story-paper, or something of the kind, in a wrapper.  Mrs. Ormonde gave it her without asking any questions, and, in the course of the morning, happening to see her reading it, she went to look what the paper was.  It proved to be an anti-Christian periodical, and on the front page stood a woodcut offered as a burlesque illustration of some Biblical incident.  “Father always brings it home and gives it me to read,” said the child.  “It makes me laugh!"’

‘Probably she knew nothing of the real meaning of it all,’ said Mr. Newthorpe.

’On the contrary, she understood the tendency of the paper surprisingly well; her father had explained everything to the family.’

‘One of the interesting results of popular education,’ remarked Mr. Newthorpe philosophically.  ‘It is inevitable.’

‘What did Mrs. Ormonde do?’ Annabel asked.

’It was a difficult point.  No good would have been done by endeavouring to set the child against her father; she would be home again in a fortnight.  So Mrs. Ormonde simply asked if she might have the paper when it was done with, and, having got possession, threw it into the fire with vast satisfaction.  Happily it didn’t come again.’

‘What a gross being that father must be!’ Annabel exclaimed.

‘Gross enough,’ Egremont replied, ’yet I shouldn’t wonder if he had brains above the average in his class.  A mere brute wouldn’t do a thing of that kind; ten to one he honestly believed that he was benefiting the girl; educating her out of superstition.’

’But why should the poor people be left to such ugly-minded teachers?’ Annabel exclaimed.  ’Surely those influences may be opposed?’

‘I doubt whether they can be,’ said her father.  ’The one insuperable difficulty lies in the fact that we have no power greater than commercial enterprise.  Nowadays nothing will succeed save on the commercial basis; from church to public-house the principle applies.  There is no way of spreading popular literature save on terms of supply and demand.  Take the Education Act.  It was devised and carried simply for the reason indicated by Egremont’s friend Dalmaine; a more intelligent type of workmen is demanded that our manufacturers may keep pace with those of other countries.  Well, there is a demand for comic illustrations of the Bible, and the demand is met; the paper exists because it pays.  An organ of culture for the people who enjoy burlesquing the Bible couldn’t possibly be made to pay.’

’But is there no one who would undertake such work without hope of recompense in money?  We are not all mere tradespeople.’

‘I have an idea for a beginning of such work, Miss Newthorpe,’ said Egremont, in a voice rather lower than hitherto.  ’I came here because I wanted to talk it over.’