But without congeniality there should have been, on the part of the stepdaughters, a just appreciation of merit, meek submission to authority, and due respect of manner. If Mabel, on all these points, was by far the most open offender, Ida, on her part, was assuredly not free from her share of blame. Her youngest sister looked up to her both as a guide and example. Mabel’s highest ambition was to copy the character of Ida, and like most young artists, she unintentionally exaggerated all the defects of what she copied. Mabel seemed to have an intuitive perception of the fact that Ida held her stepmother in low estimation, regarded her advice as valueless, took her reproofs almost as wrongs. Ida, unwittingly, was nurturing in her sister a spirit of proud independence, much more congenial, alas! to the human heart, than the faith, humility, and love which the young Christian earnestly sought to implant in her young companion. Ida was to a certain degree counteracting the effects of her own counsels, defeating the aim of her own prayers. Mabel, on the present occasion, was so much irritated by her stepmother’s recommendation of silence, that she was about to utter an insolent reply, when the conversation was fortunately interrupted by the entrance of her father, whose presence ever acted as a check on any ebullition of temper. “Well, Lawrence,” said Mrs. Aumerle, coming forward to meet her husband, “I hope that this unpleasant affair is to come to a speedy end.” “God grant it!” replied the clergyman. “Have you spoken to Annabella?” “I was beginning to tell her a little of my mind when she implored me to leave the room. She has rather too much of the countess about her, to care to listen to simple truth. She was in a highly excited state; I should not wonder if she were in a fever to-morrow.” “Do you think that we should send for Dr. Bardon?” “He’ll come, sure enough, without our sending. We shall have no peace as long as the countess remains here. All the idle, curious people in the county will find some excuse for visiting the vicarage. The Greys, Whitemans, and Barclays have been here to-day already. I have given Mary orders to let in nobody but the Doctor.” “Is Ida with her cousin?” asked Aumerle. “She has hardly been out of her room from the first.” “That is well,” said the vicar; “my child will do her best to calm and to soften.” “I think that it is the earl who must require to be calmed and softened,” observed Mrs. Aumerle; “he has been very shamefully treated.” “Augustine has, as you are aware, undertaken a mission to him. I would have gone myself, but my brother’s greater intimacy with Dashleigh, and superior powers of persuasion, would, I felt, make him a more effectual advocate for this poor misguided young creature. I thought that he would have been back ere now. I await his return with great anxiety.” “Here comes my uncle!” exclaimed Mabel.