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Ebusiness: A Canadian Perspective for a Networked World, 4e
Chapter 1 – Introduction to Ebusiness
3) Which of the following does not increase privacy and security on the internet?
A) encryption
B) credit cards
C) firewall
D) smart cards
E) passwords
Answer: B
Diff: 2 Type: MC Page Ref: 18
Skill: A Objective: 6
9) Which of the following tools could businesses use when trying to achieve full system
integration?
A) enterprise resource planning
B) eprocurement
C) customer relationship management
D) supply chain management
E) all of the above
Answer: E
Diff: 2 Type: MC Page Ref: 10
Skill: A Objective: 3
10) Which of the following features of internet-based business have an impact on the
models adopted by businesses?
A) speed and convenience
B) customization
C) media flexibility
D) redefinition of product value
E) all of the above
Answer: E
Diff: 2 Type: MC Page Ref: 6
Skill: R Objective: 2
12) With regard to ebusiness, business models have changed substantially in all but
which of the following ways?
A) making old sources of revenue obsolete
B) increasing infrastructure costs
C) increasing technology costs
15) Which of the following is the driving force for ebusiness growth in many companies?
A) use of technology to improve efficiency inside the company
B) improved communication with customers
C) perceived increase in market reach
D) employee downsizing due to automation
E) a cultural shift within the firm
Answer: C
Diff: 1 Type: MC Page Ref: 15
Skill: A Objective: 5
Skill: A Objective: 3
17) Ebusiness models that have been tried in the past number of years have focused on:
A) speed, convenience, customization, and flexibility.
B) speed, convenience, mass marketing, and online selling.
C) convenience, customization, flexibility, and email campaigns.
D) establishing businesses as bricks-based enterprises.
E) integration of supply chain management and public relations.
Answer: A
Diff: 2 Type: MC Page Ref: 6
Skill: A Objective: 2
18) Which of the statements below most accurately describes privacy on the internet?
A) Privacy is not really an issue on the internet.
B) Web browsers are not good enough to protect privacy.
C) New legislation takes away personal privacy online.
D) Companies have little to worry about with respect to privacy.
E) Surfing online has no privacy risks.
Answer: B
Diff: 2 Type: MC Page Ref: 18
Skill: A Objective: 6
20) The business to business arena of electronic commerce can be described as:
A) using the internet to invest in other companies.
B) pooling together resources so that small businesses can compete.
C) ecommerce transactions between customers and companies.
D) electronic transactions between businesses in the same area.
E) electronic transactions between businesses, primarily through the internet.
Answer: E
Diff: 2 Type: MC Page Ref: 14
Skill: A Objective: 4
21) Which is not one of the benefits of ebusiness named in this chapter?
A) increasing sales
B) reducing costs
C) expanding market reach
22) The use of a mathematical formula that is applied to electronic data to render it
illegible to anyone without the decoding key is called ________.
A) firewall blocking
B) encryption
C) encoding
D) code privatization
E) pseudo coding
Answer: B
Diff: 2 Type: MC Page Ref: 18
Skill: R Objective: 6
24) Businesses achieve systems integration by tying their systems together internally and
externally using:
A) supply chain and customer relationship management.
B) ebusiness domains and ecommerce.
C) intranets and extranets.
D) enterprise resources planning (ERP) and electronic data interchange (EDI).
E) buy-side and sell-side systems.
Answer: C
Diff: 1 Type: MC Page Ref: 10
Skill: A Objective: 3
Skill: A Objective: 1
26) Sears is an example of an old company that has made the transition to the world of
ebusiness and now has one of the top-rated ebusiness websites on the internet while
still retaining its traditional retail presence. This transition would be considered to be
________.
A) brick-and-mortar
B) clicks to bricks
C) bricks to clicks
D) plug and play
E) bricks presence
Answer: C
Diff: 3 Type: MC Page Ref: 5
Skill: A Objective: 1
27) The internet is being revolutionized through the spread of mobile units such as
smartphones, iPads, and other internet-capable devices. These tools have made the
internet ________.
A) ubiquitous
B) more secure
C) less secure
D) iniquitous
E) less expensive
Answer: A
Diff: 2 Type: MC Page Ref: 2
Skill: R Objective: 1
28) The use of the internet together with ________ make it possible for internet-based
businesses to provide customized products and services.
A) business intelligence
B) encryption
C) integrated systems
D) internet service providers
E) PayPal
Answer: C
Diff: 2 Type: MC Page Ref: 7
Skill: A Objective: 2
29) Growth in ebusiness is driven by how its benefits will impact profitability. The two
main ways in which contribution to profit can be achieved are:
A) increased revenue and cost reduction.
B) increased sales volume and cost reduction.
C) reductions in customer service personnel and increased customer service.
D) improved relations with suppliers and customers.
E) expanding market reach and increased competitive advantage.
Answer: A
30) Two sides are involved in trading communities or exchanges. These two sides are:
A) suppliers and manufacturers.
B) manufacturers and distributors.
C) vendors and suppliers.
D) suppliers and customers.
E) customers and customers.
Answer: D
Diff: 2 Type: MC Page Ref: 13
Skill: A Objective: 3
31) The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) is
designed to help individuals maintain a measure of control over personal information.
A) True
B) False
Answer: True
Diff: 2 Type: TF Page Ref: 19
Skill: R Objective: 6
32) The rise in the use of the internet is the single most important enabler of ebusiness of
any type.
A) True
B) False
Answer: True
Diff: Type: TF Page Ref: 12
Skill: R Objective: 3
33) In the B2B arena, activity has centred on the streamlining of the customer
relationship management applications by establishing shared systems between
suppliers and customers, using the internet or related technology.
A) True
B) False
Answer: False
Diff: 3 Type: TF Page Ref: 14
Skill: A Objective: 4
34) The streamlining of the internal value chain and the external supply chain enable
businesses to respond quickly to the increasingly stringent demands of ecustomers.
A) True
B) False
Answer: True
Diff: 2 Type: TF Page Ref: 9
Skill: A Objective: 2
35) Businesses achieve systems integration by using intranets to connect their systems
internally, and by using extranets to connect their systems to customers and suppliers.
A) True
B) False
Answer: True
Diff: 1 Type: TF Page Ref: 10
Skill: R Objective: 3
36) One of the reasons people use the internet is for convenience.
A) True
B) False
Answer: True
Diff: 1 Type: TF Page Ref: 6
Skill: A Objective: 2
37) Media flexibility describes the capabilities of the internet to cooperate with
multimedia companies.
A) True
B) False
Answer: False
Diff: 2 Type: TF Page Ref: 8
Skill: A Objective: 2
39) Artificial intelligence (AI) is a powerful application or set of applications that allows
businesses to capture, analyze, interpret, and report on data across an enterprise, thus
creating valuable information for the enterprise.
A) True
B) False
Answer: False
Diff: 2 Type: TF Page Ref: 13
Skill: R Objective: 3
41) Software as a service (SaaS) providers make applications available for no charge to
businesses over the internet.
A) True
B) False
Answer: False
Diff: 2 Type: TF Page Ref: 2
Skill: R Objective: 1
42) One of the clear advantages of ebusiness is the lower cost of executing transactions.
A) True
B) False
Answer: True
Diff: 1 Type: TF Page Ref: 16
Skill: A Objective: 5
43) What are the major two challenges of ebusiness discussed in this chapter?
Answer:
privacy and security
Diff: 2 Type: ES Page Ref: 18
Skill: R Objective: 6
47) Apart from intranets and extranets, what are the other four tools that are used by
companies to achieve systems integration?
Answer:
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Supply Chain Management (SCM), Customer
Relationship Management (CRM), and eprocurement
Diff: 3 Type: ES Page Ref: 12
Skill: R Objective: 3
Mrs. Huxam left her bed presently and knelt down to pray. But she
found it exceedingly cold and rose and wrapped a dressing-gown about her,
before she knelt again. It was then, in the stillness of a moonlit and frosty
night, the time being a little after half past two o'clock, that Judith heard the
shutting of the outer side door below her. There could be no doubt. The
private entrance was closed gently, and it must first have been opened.
Barlow slept and the room was dark save for the square of light where a
white blind hid the window. She drew on her shoes, put the nearest
garment, a flannel petticoat, over her head and left the room. She wasted no
time in seeking for Margery, but descended at once, reached the door, found
it unlocked, opened it and went into the street. The cold struck her like a
blow and she gasped unconsciously. Thirty yards away, a woman moved in
the moonlight and Judith knew that it was her daughter. She followed
instantly and ran to overtake her. Hearing footsteps, Margery turned and, in
a moment, her mother was beside her.
"Thank God!" was all Mrs. Huxam said, while the younger nearly felt,
then strove to hurry on.
She used physical force while she talked. Their breath rose in the air;
the old woman's high-pitched voice echoed in the silent street; Judith
dragged at Margery, while she, numbly conscious of the great cold, found
herself not strong enough to shake her mother off. Mrs. Huxam held on and
prayed aloud, with a vigour that mastered the wife of Jacob, until Margery
felt her will perishing and her limbs refusing to resist. One last effort was
made.
"Think before you hale me back," she said. "Oh, mother, think! It's
either going home, or dying—I know it."
"'Home!' Where's your home? Don't you understand yet? Have you
drunk poison unbeknownst to us? Brace your body to do your soul's work,
Margery! There's only one home for the spirits of the just made perfect.
Trust your mother, who's wearied your Maker's ear for you ever since you
were born. Trust me, I say. Am I nothing? Don't you want Heaven, if only
for my sake? Well I know you do. Praise God for His blessings and set your
foot firm on the only way. That's right—that's right. Lean on me and praise
your Maker. Oh, child—you poor, strayed sheep—did you think to go
through this icy night all that way to hell? But you'd have fallen frozen—
frozen in your sin—and then the loving Lord's self couldn't have saved you.
But you're safe now—safe, safe, Margery. The angels are singing over the
sinner that was saved. We should hear 'em if our ears weren't stopped with
earth. That's my brave child, with her hand in God's and the powers of
darkness routed. Off they go! You can almost see 'em—and the Children of
Light guide you home."
She half supported, half dragged Margery back; then she helped her to
her room still pouring out a flood of speech. Mrs. Huxam had grown a little
hysterical herself. Her daughter fell quite silent, and submitted, like a child,
to be undressed. But suddenly a moment of futile passion loosed her lips
and she turned on her mother.
As she spoke, Mr. Huxam, who had been awakened, appeared at the
doorway in a red dressing-gown and white wool night-cap.
"Praise God, father, praise God—lift your voice to the sleepless
Everlasting!" cried Judith. "The Powers of Darkness are shattered and our
girl's safe—safe!"
"Never did I doubt it," answered the man, and then he busied himself
and begged his wife to come to bed.
"I sleep with her—with my arms round her—with her head on the breast
that gave her life and the heart that has beat for her since she was born. Be
off to your chamber, Barlow, and sleep no more, but praise God. All's well
—all's well now!"
Huxam, ignorant of what had happened, went his way, and Judith joined
her daughter; while under the sinking moon, where winter trees spread their
boughs above Lydia Bridge and the great arc of the waterfall flashed with a
thousand sparks of white fire, Jeremy Huxam tramped the frosty road,
stamped his feet, looked to the covering of his horse, flung his rug over it,
and growled words seldom heard from one of the Chosen Few. For an hour
he waited and several times paced the footpath by the river beneath, to meet
his sister. But she did not come and, heartily glad of it, the man at last set
out for home. Under the darkness before dawn, he trotted off, his horse's
hoofs ringing noisily upon the frozen lanes.
CHAPTER XI
None but Jeremy and his wife ever heard particulars concerning that
night, and it was only through his sister's confession to Jane that her
husband learned why she did not come. Mrs. Huxam never guessed who
had been waiting for Margery; indeed she did not know that anybody had
waited, and felt little doubt that she had saved her child's body as well as
soul. For her own part she came through the experience unhurt; but
Margery suffered. Judith's excitation of mind had apparently served as
armour against the inclement night and she was none the worse, while her
daughter's debility and depression offered an easier prey to the cold.
Margery had been chilled and, for two days, the doctor feared. Then the
immediate danger diminished, though the inherent source of mischief
increased. From that night indeed it gained upon Margery and solved for
her the problem of attending the wedding. She left her bed again, but could
not leave the house.
Then Barlow Huxam asserted himself and insisted that the date of the
wedding should be altered if Margery wished it; but she did not wish it. She
knew that her chances of taking any part in the day were over. It was
understood that Avis and Robert would spend five minutes with her, on
their way to the station after they were married, and the wedding meal at
Red House had been taken.
To this entertainment more were bidden than cared to come; but the
Elvins and Robert's friends sufficed to brighten the feast that Jacob had
planned. For him the knowledge that Margery was too unwell to attend the
service robbed the day of its sole salt; but he went through with the business
and carried himself cheerfully.
"There's some things that are seemly and some that are not, and women
are generally more understanding to know one from t'other than men," she
said. "Your judgment tells you that you and poor Margery can't well meet
no more under one roof, unless it's the Lord's roof o' Sundays; but with
regard to this wretched man, just because that thing happened about
Samuel, you have lost sight of the truth of him and seem to reckon there's
no indecency in having truck with him. It may be Christian, but it ain't
manners. I've never yet felt as my Christianity comes between me and my
dignity, and I'm sorry you do."
"I'll not go, then," answered her nephew. "It can make no difference to
him."
Many, indeed, attended the service who had no intention of joining the
subsequent gathering. Jacob gave Avis away, and Auna was her bridesmaid;
while for Robert, his elder brother, home from sea for a while, acted as best
man.
The Huxams sat in church together, and Auna heard from Jane, before
the wedded pair set out for Red House, that Margery was not so well that
day. Auna kept her bad news until all was over at home and Avis and
Robert had driven off together. Then she sought Jacob who sat alone,
thankful to be alone, and told him that her mother was worse. But she came
to the sad matter slowly, dwelt first on all that had happened, and declared
that everything had fallen out very triumphantly.
"Dear old Mr. Marydrew sat by me at the feast," said Auna, "and Mr.
Middleweek sat on the other side of me, and they were both very cheerful
indeed—even George, though George is no believer in marriage."
"Oh, no. He and Billy talked about it, and Billy says there's more happy
marriages than not; and George said the happy ones be like a corncrake in
the hayfield—oftener heard of than seen. And he said that marriage was like
living in a shop all the time—buying, or selling—haggling and trying to get
a cheap bargain on one side and holding out for the price on the other. But
I'm sure George don't mean all the acid things he says about people
marrying. And Mr. Marydrew talked very hopefully of the next world, and
says he'll be a farmer up there and begin all over again. But he much hopes
the Happy Land won't want such a lot of muck spread on it as Dartmoor
does."
Jacob smiled, while she chattered; then she came to the bad news
gently.
"I hope that mother will be strong enough to have a little tell with Avis
and Bob before they start," she said; "but I'm terrible sorry to say dear
mother ain't very peart this morning. Aunt Jane told me about it after Avis
was married. I talked to her and Uncle Jeremy in the churchyard, and they
both said it was a very beautiful wedding in their opinion, and Avis never
looked so fine. But mother's gone weak. There ain't no nature in her."
He sighed.
"You'd best to go in first thing to-morrow. And we'll send her some
goats' milk again. It did her good last summer. I made her drink some red
wine, once, when she got too thin years ago. Burgundy it is called. I'll see
the doctor about her. He doesn't like me; but he won't fear to name wine for
her if he thinks it would be a right thing."
"So she would then," agreed Auna. "Medicine can't be wicked. And
Jesus Christ turned water into wine for happy people at a wedding, so why
shouldn't unhappy people be allowed a drop? I asked grandmother that
once, and she looked at me unkindly. She doesn't like me very much."
"Throw you over!" exclaimed the girl. "What would there be left if I
hadn't got you? There's nobody else in the world, till mother comes home
again; and sometimes I think she never will, father."
"But sometimes you think that she's going to? You hope still, don't
you?"
"I'd be the wings to help her fly, Auna, if I could. She should fly quick
enough if I thought she wanted to fly—aye, though I had to break down her
father's walls to let her out."
"I wish I could see her alone, but 'tis harder and harder to do now she
mostly keeps her room. A girl ought to be able to see her mother alone at
my age; but grandmother don't make me welcome now, and she hustles me
off for one thing and another."
"She thinks evil—that's why. She thinks you are on my side against her,
Auna."
"If she's against you, then I'm against her. I've stopped loving her this
good while now, because she won't let me talk about you to mother. And I
can see in mother's eyes that she's wishful to hear. And it's cruel I can't tell
her about things."
Jacob considered and weighed the gravity of the situation. There was
still no link between himself and his wife but such as Auna could furnish.
And as Bullstone reflected, Avis and her husband came before Margery
at the post-office.
She was in bed to-day, but she sat up while the pair stood beside her.
They were going to Exeter for a week of honeymoon, and Avis promised to
see the cathedral and listen to an anthem.
"Yes he did then—so loud that one or two in the church tittered—so
Auna told us after. And I spoke out loud too. And grandfather and father
signed the book in the vestry; and pretty near everybody waited to see me
and Robert march out. And there was a lot of rice flung at me in the
churchyard by old Billy Marydrew, but grandmother said he didn't ought."
"I do hope you'll soon be better," said Robert. "Mother's very wishful
for you to come up to Owley in the spring time. She's dearly like for you to
come, Mrs. Bullstone."
"And so would I like it, and perhaps I will, Bob," answered Margery.
"Tell me more who was in the church."
"Miss Winter and Mr. Winter," began young Elvin, but Avis stopped
him.
"No call to hush, Avis. I'm very glad they was there," declared Margery.
"They didn't come to Red House after, of course," continued Avis; "but
a rally of neighbours did, and Bob's mother and his sailor brother sat by
father, and Mr. Rupert Elvin, Bob's great-uncle, proposed the health of the
bride."
"Father was pretty cheerful I hope?" asked Margery, and Avis looked
uncomfortable.
Robert answered.
"He was, because it was kept from him and all of us that you weren't
very well to-day. And he told me that he'd hoped you might be there; but no
doubt the reason against was your poor state, Mrs. Bullstone."
"Hush, Robert," said Avis.
"You must call me 'mother' now, Bob," replied Margery. "You've got
two mothers now; and so has Avis."
"And very gay and proud I'm sure," said Robert. "And I'll send you a bit
of good foreign fruit from Exeter, mother, to cheer you up."
"I do, and very good news; and I hope you thanked your father for it.
Very few young people get such a fine start in life. A very good father to
you, my dear."
"So I tell her, and I hope Mr. Bullstone won't never have cause to be
sorry. God willing, he never shall."
"All in good time I expect. Father will do fair and right by every one."
"'Tis time you was away," she said. "Your grandfather and I and a few
more are just walking down to see the train off, and the carriage is waiting
for you and the luggage is at the station. So be off in five minutes. You'll be
all right, Margery? I shan't be gone very long."
She departed and soon afterwards Avis and Robert bade the invalid
'good-bye.' She kissed them, then heard laughter and cheerful words below,
looked out the window and saw the carriage with two grey horses drive off.
There was a white satin bow on the coachman's whip. She crept back to bed
again and her heart throbbed. She had grown weaker, and she cried now, not
at the emotion of the moment, but before the whole spectacle of her
shattered life and maimed existence. In her present state she had ceased
even to lament the failure of her last effort to return home. Now she felt that
was no great matter. She was enfeebled, indifferent and had lost the will to
live. But there grew in her one desire: a great wish to see her husband again
and bid him farewell. None would help her on her side; but if he received a
direct message from her, it was certain that Jacob would come.
She could no longer concentrate her mind for more than a few minutes
at a time, and was sleeping when her mother returned to her.
CHAPTER XII
Jacob Bullstone now did a thing he had not yet and sought Dr. Briggs,
the medical man who was attending his wife. The physician had been
Margery's doctor of old and knew her well. He allowed himself great
latitude of language at the time of the separation and he entertained violent
dislike of Jacob. Bullstone waited on him and, without concealing his
aversion, the thin, grey-whiskered practitioner snapped his evil tidings.
"She's taking iron I hope?" inquired Jacob, and the other regarded him
with aversion.
"Need you ask? The iron has entered into her soul—not the iron I gave,
however. You'll say I'm not professional and so forth. Perhaps you don't
want to know the reasons for this collapse—only the extent of it. Perhaps
you do know the reasons? At any rate I can repeat to you, as I have a dozen
times to her parents, that the old tendency to anæmia, owing to certain
obscure defects of the nourishing system and so forth, have, under her
fearful mental trials, become chronic and are now developing the gravest
symptoms. A few weeks ago she suffered from a sharp chill during the
recent harsh weather. It threatened immediate danger; but I got her through
that. You cannot, however, minister to a mind diseased."
"Perhaps the one that gave the poison might best find the antidote," said
Bullstone humbly, and the doctor looked at him with some bitterness.
"And do you feel any reason to doubt that the spring will see a change
for the better?"
"Seasons have nothing to do with it. She is little likely to see another
spring. The constitution has broken and the will power has gone. She feels
no desire to go on living, and I cannot create that desire in her. Nor can any
of her family."
"Naturally. You do not imagine they want her to die. With anæmia a
patient gets ups and downs, which flatter hope, or increase fear. But we are
far past these stages of the ailment. Her vitality ebbs with increasing
quickness, and I cannot stem the tide."
"I have taken a second opinion. Mr. Nettleship, of Plymouth, saw her
several weeks ago."
"Possibly not. He came one evening and took even a more serious view
of the case than I did. The event has proved he was correct. He has devoted
special study to the disease."
They parted and it was upon the same night—an occasion that found
Jacob sleepless and in mental torment—that there broke upon him a great,
unknown fact. Through Auna it came, three days after the wedding; but
Auna herself had passed through a mighty ordeal and suffered much
tribulation in her young mind, before she could bring herself finally to
reveal the truth to her father. Long she fought, until at last, lying sleepless
and worn out, she determined to tell Jacob what she knew. She rose, went to
him then and there, found him awake and spoke.
As others, who had known her mother of old, Adam saw Margery again
in Auna—the slim, quick shape, the eager eyes, the steadfast cheerfulness.
And Auna's devotion to her desolate father touched some hearts vaguely.
The rest of the children had slipped away from him and loosened bonds
never very tight; but she remained and still strove with youthful obstinacy
to build up the broken walls of her home. Her life was largely spent in
going backwards and forwards, and she seemed conscious of the
significance of her task, for a sort of gravity now belonged to her. Her
young face was moulded into a solemn expression and care clouded her
eyes.
"Else I'm sure she'd have made a brave try to get to church yesterday, to
see Avis married."
"I'm sure she would," he answered, "but no doubt her thoughts were
there and you'll be able to tell her what a fine send-off they had—a good
flash of sunshine and all."
"And I hope you will hear it. You'll be able to tell her what a good
wedding it was—everything just perfect if she'd only been there. How does
your father's leg go on?"
"Very clever he says. The pin bone was broke. And he's quite forgiven
Sammy, because he knows that he never would have done it, if he'd been
like other people, Mr. Winter."
"I'm very sure of that, Auna. Tell your father I'll come in and smoke a
pipe along with him some night pretty soon. He didn't ought to be on his leg
too much just yet I reckon—a heavy man like him."
"Come close, my pretty. I've slept ill; I'll be better presently. I've always
got a headache now and I can't let down my food very clever."
"Started early and got here ever so quick, because Mr. Winter was
bringing in pigs and gave me a lift. Grandmother doesn't know I've come
yet. Nobody does."
"Talk low then. She won't be up for half an hour, if she thinks I'm
alone."
"Very sad indeed, because you're bad. Oh, mother, he'd have given all
he's got in the world if he could have come this morning instead of me."
"You well know it. If you'd lift your little finger, he'd come."
Margery smiled.
"Better and better. But Mr. Winter says he mustn't use it too much,
because he's a heavy man. But he isn't as heavy as he was. He's thinner
round the waist, mother."
"Very kindly. He was cruel sorry for father's fearful fall. He'd have had
Sammy put away, but father forgave him, and Sammy's forgot all about it
now."
Their hands were very much alike, save that the elder's had grown thin
and white.
"You must bear up at what I'm going to say, Auna; but I'm terrible afraid
I'm going to die before so very long. Not afraid because I'm going to die.
That's nothing to mind when you feel like I feel; but afraid because it will
make you and father and the boys and Avis sorrowful."
"Going to die!" gasped Auna. "No, no, no, mother, don't 'e die yet a
while! Think on father. If you died, he'd never be happy again, and he's
been unhappy such a longful time now; and if you died, he'd die himself
very likely."
"Perhaps I won't then. But I feel terrible bad. And you can tell father
one thing. He wanted to see me, Auna, and he wanted me back at home?"
"But he didn't know I wanted to come back. You can tell him I wanted
to come back. It may make him feel happier."
"But why didn't you come? Oh, mother, why didn't you?"
"I tried to come when I heard he wanted me. Yes, I tried. Only it was
too late then. Things fell out and I couldn't do it. But tell him I tried and
failed. It may comfort him to know I tried, Auna."
The door had opened an inch and somebody was listening behind it; but
neither Margery nor her daughter knew that they were overheard.
"Mother, mother," cried Auna, "if he had known—if he'd only known!
Why, he'd have come for you himself, and the whole world wouldn't have
kept him from you!"
"There were reasons why he shouldn't know till I'd got to him. But that's
all one now. Wrong or right, you can tell father I tried. In time that will be
good to him to remember."
"So I will then. Oh, if you'd only come, you'd have got well so quick!
You must come yet. You must be drove in a shut-up cab all the way. I'll tell
father you tried, and then——"
Mrs. Huxam entered, without any indication that she had overheard this
vital matter.
Margery had turned away to the wall, for a wave of excitement made
her heart beat painfully and she felt faint. Judith ministered to her.
"I expect mother's talked enough," she said. "The doctor hasn't seen her
yet. I wouldn't leave the goats' milk, because it isn't the right thing for her
now. You can take it over to Aunt Jane for the baby. It will be just right for
him."
"So I will then," said Auna. "And I'll wait till Dr. Briggs has seen
mother, so as I can tell father what he says."
"You'd better go then, and come back in half an hour," she said quietly.
"I'll tell you what doctor says presently."
Auna kissed her mother, who lay with closed eyes, and after the kiss,
she whispered, "I'll tell him." Then she went downstairs, carrying her little
milk can. And when she was gone, Judith spoke cheerfully to Margery, but
made no mention of what she had overheard, though her mind was full of it.
The old woman perceived a tremendous peril suddenly created by
Margery's confession to Auna. A possibility existed of evading it; but the
possibility was slight and the danger itself enormous. No instant disaster
threatened, and yet the day could hardly end without bringing it. She saw a
great battle lying immediately ahead and knew that for some temptations
flight must be the only successful opposition. For the moment everything
hinged upon Auna, and Auna was a broken reed in her grandmother's
opinion. Auna had ceased to be single-hearted; she had never taken her
stand, as her brothers and sister had taken it, on the side of religion and
justice. Yet now into Auna's ears had been given a tremendous message—a
message which might have been whispered by the devil himself rather than
the poor victim of Bullstone's evil-doing. It was a message which, if it
reached Margery's husband, would produce instant and violent response.
Once let him know that Margery had so far condoned her wrongs as to
attempt a return to Red House, and he might yet confound all, even in sight
of salvation. For, from Judith's standpoint, salvation was now in sight. The
message must not be delivered if she could prevent it, and she would have
arrested Auna, locked her up, or taken any other direct action, had it been in
her power to do so. But that was impossible; therefore she had asked the
girl to return, in order to influence her and win a promise. At best, however,
she doubted the value of a promise, even if she could win it. John Henry,
Avis, or Peter she could have trusted to keep any promise given; Auna she
did not trust, by virtue of the taint that made her put an erring father first in
all things.
When presently her grandchild returned, Judith drew her into the little,
front parlour, shut the door and set about her task. The doctor had offered
scant shadow of hope and Mrs. Huxam perceived that he did not think
Margery would live. To her that was already an accepted fact. But she knew
many worse dangers than death.
"Auna," she said. "I hope no grandchild of mine would ever tell a lie."
Auna reflected, looking straight into the calm, white face. Her answer
indeed demanded no thought; but her mind was already concerned with
what might have inspired the question.
"Surely, surely, you're not godless enough to want to think about it,
Auna?"
"Of course not, grandmother, I'm sure none of us ever told you a lie.
Why for should we?"
"I know she's terrible weak in body, and she thinks she may die of it
even; but her mind is all right, grandmother."
"Her mind is all wrong," answered Judith. "That's what too well I know,
and you do not. And now her mind has gone wrong, then it is for all that
love her to be doubly anxious and careful."
"It's God's will that the strong should fight for the weak, and never more
than when the weak have run into danger unknowing. Human weakness is
the devil's strength, and he knows it, and where the sick creature is there
will that old vulture, the devil, be hopping round about. I'm speaking of
your mother's everlasting soul, Auna, not her body. And it pleases God
sometimes to let us worms do His work, even in such a high matter as a
soul. Not long ago it was the Almighty's will that I should save your dear
mother from a terrible danger. It was my blessing and pride and joy to come
between my child and the devil, in all his fearful power and might; and a
greater joy for a human parent God couldn't offer. That's done; the battle
was won and your mother knows what I did for her. But while there's life in
man, there's hope in the devil, and he's not done with mother yet."
"The devil never had anything to do with dear mother," she said.
"Nobody ever gave God less trouble than mother. She's good—good—and
who don't know it?"
"Listen, and don't talk to me in that tone of voice. Just now, before you
left her, it pleased the Lord that I should overhear what she was saying to
you. I heard her tell you that she'd tried to go to Red House, didn't she?"
"Yes, grandmother."
"That was the devil, Auna—sleepless to catch your mother's soul; and
the will to go was only less terrible than the deed. The deed was prevented;
but now I've heard a very dreadful thing, because the will to do wrong may
destroy the soul, just as well as the deed itself. And for that matter, Jesus
Christ says one's as bad as the other."
She stopped to study the girl's face, but Auna only looked very sulky.
"You will in a minute. You were told—not by your dear mother, Auna,
but by the Evil One, who's often allowed to speak through our human lips,
that she wanted to go back to Red House and couldn't; and she told you to
tell your father that."
"So you must not; that's why I was sent to overhear the fatal words and
save you from repeating them to your father."
"I promised to, because mother thought it would make father happier;
and so it will, granny; oh, it will do that when he knows."
"You promised, because you knew not why you promised, or who you
promised. But you are not going to keep your promise, because to keep it
would be threatening new danger to your mother's soul. A soul's never safe
till it's out of the body, Auna. Always remember that. Many and many a
soul has been lost on a death-bed, where the devil's grabbed them at the last
moment."
"How would it hurt dear mother's soul to know that father was a little
happier, granny?"
"It hurts your mother's soul to think on your father at all. I'm not your
father's judge, and nothing that your mother, or anybody else, can do will
alter the wages of such sins as his. And the way you act about your father is
a very great sorrow to all of us; for you've been taught to know far better.
But what matters now is that for your mother's sake—your dying mother's
sake, Auna—he must not know what she said. Your mother's soul it may
mean, for God wills that a soul shall hang on a thread above the bottomless
pit sometimes; and such a little thing as a child's hand may push it down.
Therefore the man must never know that your mother wanted to see him."