"Oh, no: you have a reason, I see. So, why should not the little Rowlands be truthful?" "Because they have so perpetual an example of falsehood before them at home. I have made some painful discoveries there lately." "Is it possible you did not know that woman long ago?" "I knew her obvious qualities, which there is no need to specify: but the depth of her untruth is a new fact to me." "Are you sure of it, now?" "Quite sure of it in some particulars, and strongly suspecting it in others. Do not tell your sister anything of what I am going to say, unless you find it necessary for the direction of her conduct. Let your disclosures be rather to Mr Hope. That is settled, is it? Well, Mrs Rowland's ruling passion just now is hatred to your household." "I suspected as much. But--the untruth." "Wait a little. She dislikes you, all and severally." "What, my brother?" "Oh, yes; for marrying into the Grey connection so decidedly. Did you ever hear that before?" Margaret laughed; and her friend went on-- "This capture and imprisonment of her mother (for the poor old lady is not allowed to see whom she pleases) is chiefly to get her from under Mr Hope's care. I fancy, from her air, and from some things she has dropped, that she has some grand _coup-de-theatre_ in reserve about that matter; but this is merely suspicion: I will now speak only of what I know to exist. She is injuring your brother to an extent that he is not, but ought to be, aware of." "What does she say? She shudders at his politics, I know." "Yes; that might be ignorance merely, and even conscientious ignorance: so we will let that pass. She also hints, very plainly and extensively, that your brother and sister are not happy together." "She is a wicked woman," said Margaret, with a deep sigh. "I half suspected what you tell me, from poor George's errand that unhappy day." "Right. Mr Rowland's irony was intended to stop his wife's insinuations before the children. She says the most unwarrantable things about Mrs Grey's having made the match--and she intimates that Hester has several times gone to bed in hysterics, from Mr Hope having upbraided her with taking him in." "What _is_ to be done?" cried Margaret, throwing down her work. "Your brother will decide for himself whether to speak to Mr Rowland, or to let the slander pass, and live it down. Our duty is to give him information; and I feel that it is a duty. And now, have you been told anything about Mr Hope's practice of dissection?" Margaret related what she had heard on the bank of the river, and Hope's explanation of it.