She congratulated herself more than once on having nothing to do with women, who being naturally more callous and avid of details, would have been anxious to be exactly informed by what sort of unkind conduct her daughter and son-in-law had driven her to that sad extremity.
It was only before the Secretary of the great brewer M.P.and Chairman of the Charity, who, acting for his principal, felt bound to be conscientiously inquisitive as to the real circumstances of the applicant, that she had burst into tears outright and aloud, as a cornered woman will weep.

The thin and polite gentleman, after contemplating her with an air of being "struck all of a heap," abandoned his position under the cover of soothing remarks.

She must not distress herself.

The deed of the Charity did not absolutely specify "childless widows." In fact, it did not by any means disqualify her.

But the discretion of the Committee must be an informed discretion.