'Has she good sense?' 'Yes, very fair sense. We can trust to her judgment implicitly in dealing with the girls, and she teaches well, but she is not at all clever, and could never shine.' 'Perhaps a person who wanted to shine might be embarrassing,' said Lady Kenton, rather amused. 'Well, it might be so. The poor man is certainly no star himself, but surely he needs some one who would draw him out, and push him forward, make a way in society, in fact.' 'That might not be for his domestic happiness.' 'Perhaps not, but your Ladyship has not seen what a poor little insignificant creature she is--though, indeed, we are both very fond of her, and should be very much relieved not to think we ought to strengthen her scruples. For, indeed,' and tears actually came into the good lady's eyes, 'I am sure that though she would release him for his good, that it would break her heart. Shall I call her? Ah!' as a voice began to become very audible on the other side of the doors, 'she has a visitor.' 'Not Lord Northmoor. It is a woman's voice, and a loud one.' Presently, indeed, there was a tone that made Lady Kenton say, 'People do scent things very fast. It must be some one wanting to apply for patronage.' 'I am a little afraid it is that sister-in-law of his,' said Miss Lang, lowering her voice. 'I saw her once at the choral festival--and--and I wasn't delighted.' 'Perhaps I had better come another day,' said Lady Kenton. 'We seem to be almost listening.' Even as the lady was taking her leave, the words were plainly heard-- 'Artful, mean-spirited, time-serving viper as you are, bent on dragging him down to destruction!' CHAPTER VII MORTONS AND MANNERS 'Shillyshally,' quoth Mrs. Charles Morton over her brother-in-law's letter. 'Does he think a mother is to be put off like that?' So she arrayed herself in panoply of glittering jet and nodding plumes, and set forth by train to Hurminster to assert her rights, and those of her children, armed with a black sunshade, and three pocket-handkerchiefs. She did not usually wear mourning, but this was an assertion of her nobility. In his sitting-room, wearing his old office coat, pale, wearied, and worried, the Frank Morton, 'who could be turned round the finger of any one who knew how,' appeared at her summons. She met him with an effusive kiss of congratulation. 'Dearest Frank! No, I must not say Frank! I could hardly believe my eyes when I read the news.' 'Nor I,' said he. 'Nor the dear children. Oh, if your dear brother were only here! We are longing to hear all about it,' she said, as she settled herself in the arm-chair, a relic of his mother. He repeated what he had told Mary about the family, the Park, and the London house. 'I suppose there is a fine establishment of servants and carriages?'