"I think it's very sad to see a young man getting so idle and losing all interest in his people," she said. "It's quite different to what it was at Trowsby. Of course, he worked far too hard before his marriage and, indeed, after it, too," she added rather grudgingly. "But I would far rather he worked too much, than too little." Rachel's colour rose. She felt indignant. "But he is working very hard," she said. "He is studying; and you know the complaint is that the clergy don't study and so can't help their people in these difficult times. Visiting their parishioners is only part of the work after all." "Well, all I can say is that things are very different to what they were. And I never remember a time in which he did not welcome his mother." Mrs. Greville did not recollect how carefully she kept watch over the dining-room, which then stood for his study, so that he should never be interrupted. "Of course," she added, "I don't suppose I can quite expect things to be exactly the same as they were before his marriage. I don't imagine he objects to you going into his study at any time." Rachel, glancing at her mother-in-law, was aware of a certain pathetic eagerness displayed in the expression of her face as she waited for the answer. The slight indignation that Rachel was conscious of feeling passed away, and she was glad that she could assure Mrs. Greville that she never interrupted her husband unless it was absolutely necessary as she knew he would not like it. "But," she said, "don't you think that he may have been sent here so as to give him time to study before some great and important post is offered him? That is what I love to think. I could not bear to believe that he would be here all his life. When I am stronger, I hope we shall go to some town where he can have a larger sphere of work. That is one of the things that reconciles me to this country living." "Well," said Mrs. Greville, "I feel that he ought to be doing something, and not spending all those hours in his study." "He is doing something." But Mrs. Greville was only half convinced. Rachel was feeling stronger so that the conversation with her mother-in-law did not trouble her as it might have done. It almost amused her. That Luke could possibly be wasting his time in his study was so absurd an idea that it made her smile. She had sometimes wondered herself at the amount of writing he was engaged in doing; but she had not asked him about it, as one of his peculiarities was the fact that he did not care to be questioned about his work. That she would know in time she had not a doubt. That he was doing anything that she did not know about did not make her either curious or restless. Apparently it had that effect on her mother-in-law.