She was absolutely alone in the world.

Nobody knew what she had to live on.

But she could always find a crust for some one more destitute than herself, and she ranked high among the wits of the village.

To Diana she talked of her predecessors--the Vavasours--whose feudal presence seemed to be still brooding over the village.

With little chuckles of laughter, she gave instance after instance of the tyranny with which they had lorded it over the country-side in early Victorian days: how the "Madam Vavasour" of those days had pulled the feathers from the village-girls' hats, and turned a family who had offended her, with all their belongings, out into the village street.