Mrs. Branderton had a self-importance which was almost sublime; it never occurred to her that there might be persons sufficiently ill-conditioned as to resent her patronage. She did it all in kindness--she showered advice upon all and sundry, besides soups and jellies upon the poor, to whom when they were ill she even sent her cook to read the Bible. She would have gone herself, only she strongly disapproved of familiarity with the lower classes, which made them independent and often rude. Mrs. Branderton knew without possibility of question that she and her equals were made of different clay from common folk; but, being a gentlewoman, did not throw this fact in the latters’ faces, unless, of course, they gave themselves airs, when she thought a straight talking-to did them good. Without any striking advantages of birth, money, or intelligence, Mrs. Branderton never doubted her right to direct the affairs and fashions, even the modes of thought of her neighbours; and by sheer force of self-esteem had caused them to submit for thirty years to her tyranny, hating her and yet looking upon her invitations to a bad dinner, as something quite desirable. Mrs. Branderton had debated with herself how she should treat the Craddocks. “I wonder if it’s my duty to cut them,” she said. “Edward Craddock is _not_ the sort of man a Miss Ley ought to marry. But there are so few gentlefolk in the neighbourhood, and of course people do make marriages which they wouldn’t have dreamed of twenty years ago. Even the best society is very mixed nowadays. Perhaps I’d better err on the side of mercy!” Mrs. Branderton was a little pleased to think that the Leys required her support--as was proved by the request of her son’s services at the wedding. “The fact is gentlefolk are gentlefolk, and they must stand by one another in these days of pork-butchers and furniture people.” After the service, when the parishioners were standing about the churchyard, Mrs. Branderton sailed up to the Craddocks followed by Arthur, and in her high, cracked voice began to talk with Edward. She kept an eye on the Leanham people to see that her action was being duly noticed, speaking to Craddock in the manner a gentlewoman should adopt with a man whose gentility was a little doubtful. Of course he was very much pleased and flattered. Chapter IX Some days later, after the due preliminaries which Mrs. Branderton would on no account have neglected, the Craddocks received an invitation to dinner. Bertha silently passed it to her husband. “I wonder who she’ll ask to meet us,” he said. “D’you want to go?” asked Bertha. “Why, don’t you? We’ve got no engagement, have we?” “Have you ever dined there before?” said Bertha. “No. I’ve been to tennis-parties and that sort of thing, but I’ve hardly set foot inside their house.” “Well, I think it’s an impertinence of her to ask you now.” Edward opened his mouth wide: “What on earth d’you mean?”