The things were terrible enough to satisfy even Lady Scrope, who seemed to rejoice in an uncanny fashion over the awful devastation going on all round.
"I'm not a saint myself," she said with unwonted gravity, "and I never set up for one, but many has been the time when I have warned those about me that God would not stand aside for ever looking on at these abominations.

The means were ready to His hand, and He has taken them and used them as a scourge.

And He will scourge this wicked city yet again, if men will not amend their evil practices." Next minute Gertrude and Dorcas came running in together, and Gertrude almost flung herself into Joseph's arms in her eager gratitude to him for his news, and her desire to hear everything he could tell her.
Such a clamour of voices then arose as fairly drowned any remark that Lady Scrope tried from time to time to throw in.

Her old face took a suddenly softened look as she watched the little scene, and heard the words that passed amongst the young people.

Presently she went tapping away on her high-heeled shoes, and was absent for some ten or fifteen minutes.