It was her terrible misfortune to have feelings too refined for the position in which fate had placed her.  Had she only been like those other girls in the workroom!  But we are interesting in proportion to our capacity for suffering, and dignity comes of misery nobly borne.

As she sat working on Kate’s dress, she was surprised to hear a heavy step approaching.  There came a knock at the door; she answered, admitting Daniel.

He looked about the room, partly from curiosity, partly through embarrassment.  Dusk was falling.

’Young ‘uns in bed?’ he said, lowering his voice.

‘Yes, they are asleep,’ Emma replied.

‘You don’t mind me coming up?’

‘Oh no!’

He went to the window and looked at the houses opposite, then at the flushed sky.

’Bank holiday to-morrow.  I thought I’d like to ask you whether you and Mrs. Clay and the children ’ud come with me to Epping Forest.  If it’s a day like this, it’ll be a nice drive—­do you good.  You look as if you wanted a breath of fresh air, if you don’t mind me sayin’ it.’

‘It’s very kind of you, Mr. Dabbs,’ Emma replied.  ’I am very sorry I can’t come myself, but my sister and the children perhaps—­’

She could not refuse for them likewise, yet she was troubled to accept so far.

‘But why can’t you come?’ he asked good-naturedly, slapping his hat against his leg.

‘I have some work that’ll take me nearly all day.’

’But you’ve no business to work on a bank holiday.  I’m not sure as it ain’t breakin’ the law.’

He laughed, and Emma did her best to show a smile.  But she said nothing.

’But you will come, now?  You can lose just the one day?  It’ll do you a power o’ good.  You’ll work all the better on Tuesday, now see if you don’t.  Why, it ain’t worth livin’, never to get a holiday.’

’I’m very sorry.  It was very kind indeed of you to think of it, Mr. Dabbs.  I really can’t come.’

He went again to the window, and thence to the children’s bedside.  He bent a little and watched them breathing.

‘Bertie’s growin’ a fine little lad.’

‘Yes, indeed, he is.’

’He’ll have to go to school soon, I s’pose—­I’m afraid he gives you a good deal of trouble, that is, I mean—­you know how I mean it.’

‘Oh, he is very good,’ Emma said, looking at the sleeping face affectionately.

‘Yes, yes.’

Daniel had meant something different; he saw that Emma would not understand him.

‘We see changes in life,’ he resumed, musingly.  ‘Now who’d a’ thought I should end up with having more money than I. know how to use?  The ‘ouse has done well for eight years now, an’ it’s likely to do well for a good many years yet, as far as I can see.’

‘I am glad to hear that,’ Emma replied constrainedly.