She had passed a whole night in revolt against George Cannon's indignity; she had called it, furiously, an insult.

She had said to herself: "Well, if I'm so useless as all that, I'll never go near his office again." But the next afternoon she had appeared as usual at the office, meek, modest, with a smile, fatigued and exquisitely resigned, and a soft voice.

And she had worked with even increased energy and devotion.

This kissing of the rod, this irrational instinctive humility, was a strange and sweet experience for her.

Such was the Hilda of the office; but Hilda at home, cantankerous, obstinate, and rude, had offered a remarkable contrast to her until the moment when it was decided that her mother should accompany Miss Gailey to London.
From that moment Hilda at home had been an angel, and the Hilda of the office had shown some return of sturdy pride.
To-day the first number of _The Five Towns Chronicle_ was to go to press....