Mr。Knightverysoonbecameawarefirstthathisincomewasinsufficienttohisneeds，andsecondly，especiallynowwhenhishealthwasmuchimproved，thatafterabusyandhard-workinglife，timeatMonk’sAcrehungheavilyuponhishands。Thelattertroubletosomeextenthepalliatedbybeginningthegreatworkthathehadplannedeversincehebecameadeacon，forwhichhisundoubtedscholarshipgavehimcertainqualifications。Itsprovisionaltitlewas，“BabylonUnveiled“hewouldhavelikedtosubstitute“TheScarletWoman“forBabylonanditsapparentobjectanelaborateattackupontheRomanChurch，whichinfactwasbutacoverfortherealonslaught。WiththeRomans，althoughperhapshedidnotknowithimself，hehadcertainsympathies，forinstance，inthematterofcelibacy。Nordidheentirelydisapproveofthemonasticorders。ThenhefoundnothingshockinginthetenetsandmethodsoftheJesuitsworkingforwhattheyconceivedtobeagoodend。Therealtargetsofhisanimositywerehishigh-churchbrethrenoftheChurchofEngland，wretcheswho，whilstretainingalltheprivilegesoftheAnglicanEstablishment，suchasmarriage，didnothesitatetoadoptalmosteveryerrorofRomeandtomakeuseofhersecretpoweroverthesoulsofmenbythepracticeofConfessionandotherwise。
AsthismonumentaltreatisebeganinthetimesoftheEarlyFathersandwasplannedtofilltenvolumesofatleastahundredthousandwordsapiece，noonewillbesurprisedtolearnthatitneverreachedthestageofpublication，orindeed，tobeaccurate，thatitcametofinalstopsomewhereaboutthetimeofAthanasius。
RealizingthattheworkwaslikelytoequalthatofGibbonbothinlengthandtheyearsnecessarytoitscompletion；alsothatfromitcouldbeexpectednoimmediatepecuniaryprofits，Mr。Knightlookedroundtofindsomeotherwayofoccupyinghisleisure，andaddingtohisincome。Althoughareservedperson，onacertainSundaywhenhewenttolunchattheHall，intheabsenceofMr。Blakewhowasspendingtheweek-endsomewhereelse，heconfidedhisdifficultiestoLadyJanewhomhefelttobesympathetic。
“Thehouseissobig，“hecomplained。“Mrs。Parsons“Godfrey’soldnurseandhishousekeeper“andonegirlcannotevenkeepitclean。ItwasmostfoolishofmypredecessorinthelivingtorestorethatoldrefectoryandallthesoutherndormitoriesuponwhichIamtoldhespentnolessthan￡1，500ofhisownmoney，neverreflectingontheexpensewhichhissuccessorsmustincurmerelytokeeptheminorder，sincebeingoncetheretheyareliableforchargesfordilapidations。
Itwouldhavebeenbetter，afterpermissionobtained，toletthemgotoruin。“
“Nodoubt，buttheyareverybeautiful，aretheynot？“remarkedLadyJanefeebly。
“Beautyisaluxuryand，Imayadd，asnare。Itisamistakenloveofbeautyandpomp，baitsthattheEvilOnewellknowshowtouse，whichhaveledsolargeasectionofourChurchastray，“herepliedsippingathistumblerofwater。
Asilencefollowed，forLadyJane，whofromearlyandtenderassociationslovedhigh-churchpractices，didnotknowwhattoanswer。
ItwasbrokenbyIsobelwhohadbeenlisteningtotheconversationinheracuteway，andnowsaidinherclear，strongvoice：
“Whydon’tyoukeepaschool，Mr。Knight？There’slotsofroomforitintheAbbey。“
“Aschool!“hesaid。“Aschool!Ineverthoughtofthat。No，itisridiculous。Still，pupilsperhaps。Outofthemouthofbabesandsucklings，&c。Well，itistimeformetobegoing。Iwillthinkthematteroverafterchurch。“
Mr。Knightdidthinkthematteroverandafterconsultationwithhishousekeeper，Mrs。Parsons，anadvertisementappearedin/TheTimes/
and/TheSpectator/invitingparentsandguardianstoentrusttwoorthreeladstotheadvertiser’scaretoreceivepreliminaryeducation，togetherwithhisownson。Itprovedfruitful，andafteranexchangeofthe“highestreferences，“twolittleboysappearedatMonk’sAcre，bothofthemratherdelicateinhealth。ThiswasshortlybeforethecrisisaroseastothefutureteachingofIsobel，whenthelastgoverness，wishingher“abetterspirit，“hadbiddenherafrigidfarewellandshakenthedustofHawk’sHalloffherfeet。
OnedayIsobelwassentwithanotetotheAbbeyHouse。Sherangthebellbutnoonecame，forMr。KnightwasoutwalkingwithhispupilsandMrs。Parsonsandtheparlour-maidwereelsewhere。Tiredofwaiting，shewanderedroundthegreyoldbuildinginthehopeoffindingsomeonetowhomshecoulddelivertheletter，andcametotherefectorywhichhadaseparateentrance。Thedoorwasopenandshepeepedin。Atfirst，afterthebrilliantsunlightwithout，shesawnothingexceptthegreatemptinessoftheplacewithitssplendidoakroofontherepairofwhichthelateincumbenthadspentsomuch，sinceasiscommoninmonkishbuildings，thewindowswerehighandnarrow。Presently，however，sheperceivedalittlefigureseatedintheshadowattheendofthelongoakenrefectorytable，thatatwhichthemonkshadeaten，whichstillremainedwhereithadstoodforhundredsofyears，oneofthefixturesofthehouse，andknewitforthatofGodfrey，Mr。Knight’sson。Glidingtowardshimquietlyshesawthathewasasleepandstoppedtostudyhim。
Hewasabeautifulboy，palejustnowforhehadrecoveredbutrecentlyfromsomechildishillness。Hishairwasdarkandcurling，dark，too，werehiseyes，thoughtheseshecouldnotsee，andthelashesoverthem，whilehishandswerelongandfine。Helookedmostlonelyandpathetic，thereinthebigoakchairthathadsooftenaccommodatedtheportlyformsofdepartedabbots，andherwarmheartwentouttowardshim。OfcourseIsobelknewhim，butnotverywell，forhewasashyladandherfatherhadneverencouragedintimacybetweentheAbbeyHouseandtheHall。
Somehowshehadtheideathathewasunhappy，forindeedhelookedsoeveninhissleep，thoughperhapsthiswastobeaccountedforbyapaperofunfinishedsumsbeforehim。SympathywelledupinIsobel，whorememberedtheoppressionsofthelastgoverness——heroftheinkpot。
Sympathy，yes，andmorethansympathy，forofasuddenshefeltasshehadneverfeltbefore。Shelovedthelittleladasthoughhewereherbrother。Astrangeaffinityforhimcamehometoher，althoughshedidnotdefineitthus；itwasasifsheknewthatherspiritwasintimatewithhis，yes，andalwayshadbeenandalwayswouldbeintimate。
ThissubtleknowledgewentthroughIsobellikefireandshookher。Sheturnedpale，hernostrilsexpanded，herlargeeyesopenedandshesighed。Shedidmoreindeed。Drawnbysomeover-masteringimpulseshedrewneartoGodfreyandkissedhimgentlyontheforehead，thenglidedbackagainfrightenedandashamedatherownact。
Nowhewokeup；shefelthisdarkeyeslookingather。Thenhespokeinaslow，puzzledvoice，saying：
“Ihavehadsuchafunnydream。Idreamedthataspiritcameandkissedme。Ididnotseeit，butIthinkitmusthavebeenmymother’s。“
“Why？“askedIsobel。
“Becausenooneelseevercaredenoughformetokissme，exceptMrs。
Parsons，andshehasgivenitupnowthattheotherboysarehere。“
“Doesnotyourfatherkissyou？“sheasked。
“Yes，onceaweek，onSundayeveningwhenIgotobed。BecauseIdon’tcountthat。“
“No，Iunderstand，“saidIsobel，thinkingofherownfather，thenaddedhastily，“itmustbesadnottohaveamother。“
“Itis，“heanswered，“especiallywhenoneisillasIhavebeen，andmustliesolonginbedwithpainsinthehead。YouknowIhadanabscessintheearandithurtverymuch。“
“Ididn’tknow。Weheardyouwereillandmotherwantedtocometoseeyou。Fatherwouldn’tlether。Hethoughtitmightbemeaslesandheisafraidofcatchingthings。“
“Yes，“repliedGodfreywithoutsurprise。“Itwasn’tmeasles，butifithadbeenyoumighthavecaughtthem，soofcoursehewasrighttobecareful。“
“Oh!hewasn’tthinkingofmeorMummy，hewasthinkingofhimself，“
blurtedoutIsobelwiththecandourofyouth。
“Big，strongmendon’tcatchmeasles，“saidGodfreyinmildastonishment。
“Hesaystheydo，andthattheyareverydangerouswhenyouaregrownup。Whyareyoualonehere，andwhatareyouworkingat？“
“MyfatherhaskeptmeinasapunishmentbecauseIdidmysumswrong。
Theotherboyshavegoneoutbird-nesting，butIhavetostophereuntilIgetthemright。Idon’tknowwhenthatwillbe，“headdedwithasigh，“asIhateruleofthreeandcan’tdoit。“
“Ruleofthree，“saidIsobel，“I’mquitegoodatit。YouseeIlikefigures。Myfathersaysitisthefamilybusinessinstinct。Here，letmetry。Movetotheothersideofthatbigchair，there’splentyofroomfortwo，andshowittome。“
Heobeyedwithalacrityandsoonthebrownheadandthefaironewerebenttogetheroverthescrawledsheet。Isobel，whohadreallyabuddingtalentformathematics，workedoutthesum，orratherthesums，withoutdifficultyandthen，withguileacquiredunderthegovernessrégime，madehimcopythemanddestroyedalltracesofherownhandiwork。
“Areyouasstupidateverythingasyouareatsums？“sheaskedwhenhehadfinished，risingfromthechairandseatingherselfontheedgeofthetable。
“Whatarudethingtoask!Ofcoursenot，“herepliedindignantly。“I
amverygoodatLatinandhistory，whichIlike。Butyouseefatherdoesn’tcaremuchforthem。HewasaWrangler，youknow。“
“AWrangler!Howdreadful。Isupposethatiswhyhearguessomuchinhissermons。Ihatehistory。It’sfullofdatesandthenamesofkingswhowereallbad。Ican’tmakeoutwhypeopleputupwithkings，“sheaddedreflectively。
“Becausetheyoughtto，’GodblessourgraciousQueen，’youknow。“
“Well，GodmayblessherbutIdon’tseewhyIshouldassheneverdidanythingforme，thoughFatherdoeshopeshewillmakehimsomethingoneday。I’dliketobeaRepublicanwithaPresidentastheyhaveinAmerica。“
“YoumustbewhatfathercallsawickedRadical，“saidGodfreystaringather，“oneofthosepeoplewhowanttodisestablishtheChurch。“