"You mean the Manserghs," suggested Mrs. Mercer. "I wasn't thinking of them particularly, but of course they are _most_ undesirable people. They are rich and live in a big house, and therefore everything is forgiven them. Worthing, of course, is hand in glove with them--with a man with the manners of a boor and a woman who was divorced, and an actress at that--a painted woman." "Well, she is getting on in years now, and I suppose people have forgotten a lot," said Mrs. Mercer. "And her first husband didn't divorce her, did he? She divorced him." "What difference does that make? You surely are not going to stand up for her, are you? Especially after the way in which she behaved to you!" "No," said Mrs. Mercer doubtfully. It was Lady Mansergh's behaviour to her husband that had hitherto been the chief cause of offence, her 'past' having been ignored until the time of the quarrel, or as the Vicar had since declared, unknown. "Oh, no, Albert, I think she is quite undesirable, as you say. And it would be a thousand pities if that nice girl, and her younger sisters, were to get mixed up with a woman like that. I think you should give Mr. Grafton a warning. Wilborough is the nearest big house to Abington, and I suppose it is natural that they should be friendly." "I shall certainly do that. Mr. Grafton and Sir Alexander can shoot together and all that sort of thing, but it would be distinctly wrong for him to allow young girls like his daughters to be intimate with people like the Manserghs." "The sons are nice, though. Fortunately Lady Mansergh is not their mother." "Richard is away at sea most of the time, and Geoffrey is _not_ particularly nice, begging your pardon. I saw him in the stalls of a theatre last year with a woman whose hair I feel sure was dyed. He is probably going the same way as his father. It would be an insult to a young and pure girl like Miss Grafton to encourage anything like intimacy between them." "I expect they will make friends with the Pembertons. There are three girls in their family and three in that."