When all was over a day or two later the two went up to stay at the Hall, while the housekeeper was left in charge of the Dower House. Lady Maxwell and Mistress Margaret had been present at the parish church on the occasion of the funeral, for the first time ever since the old Marian priest had left; and had assisted too at the opening of the will, which was found, tied up and docketed in one of the inner drawers of the inlaid desk; and before its instructions were complied with, Lady Maxwell wished to have a word or two with Isabel and Anthony. She made an opportunity on the morning of Anthony's departure for Cambridge, two days after the funeral, when Mistress Margaret was out of the room, and Hubert had ridden off as usual with Piers, on the affairs of the estate. "My child," said she to Isabel, who was lying back passive and listless on the window-seat. "What do you think your cousin will direct to be done? He will scarcely wish you to leave home altogether, to stay with him. And yet, you understand, he is your guardian." Isabel shook her head. "We know nothing of him," she said, wearily, "he has never been here." "If you have a suggestion to make to him you should decide at once," the other went on, "the courier is to go on Monday, is he not, Anthony?" The boy nodded. "But will he not allow us," he said, "to stay at home as usual? Surely----" Lady Maxwell shook her head. "And Isabel?" she asked, "who will look after her when you are away?" "Mrs. Carroll?" he said interrogatively. Again she shook her head. "He would never consent," she said, "it would not be right." Isabel looked up suddenly, and her eyes brightened a little. "Lady Maxwell--" she began, and then stopped, embarrassed. "Well, my dear?" "What is it, Isabel?" asked Anthony. "If it were possible--but, but I could not ask it." "If you mean Margaret, my dear"; said the old lady serenely, drawing her needle carefully through, "it was what I thought myself; but I did not know if you would care for that. Is that what you meant?" "Oh, Lady Maxwell," said the girl, her face lighting up. Then the old lady explained that it was not possible to ask them to live permanently at the Hall, although of course Isabel must do so until an arrangement had been made; because their father would scarcely have wished them to be actually inmates of a Catholic house; but that he plainly had encouraged close relations between the two houses, and indeed, Lady Maxwell interpreted his mention of his daughter's name, and his look as he said it, in the sense that he wished those relations to continue. She thought therefore that there was no reason why their new guardian's consent should not be asked to Mistress Margaret's coming over to the Dower House to take charge of Isabel, if the girl wished it. He had no particular interest in them; he lived a couple of hundred miles away, and the arrangement would probably save him a great deal of trouble and inconvenience.