'The Earl my papa lived with used to bet and gamble, and come home dreadfully late at night, and so did my lady and her daughters, and their poor maid had to sit up for them till four o'clock in the morning. Then their bills! They never told his lordship, but they sold their diamonds and wore paste. His lordship did not know, but their maid did, and told papa.' Constance opened her eyes and declared that Uncle Frank and Aunt Mary never could do such things. Moreover, she averred that Lady Adela was always going about among the cottages, and that Miss Morton had not a bit of pride, and was going to live in London to teach the dust-pickers and match-box makers. 'Indeed, I don't think they are half as worldly in themselves,' she said, 'as Ida is growing with thinking about them.' 'Ah, don't you remember the sermon that said worldliness didn't depend on what one has, but what one is?' 'Talking of nothing better than sermons!' said Herbert, coming on them. 'Have you caught it of the governor, Con? I believe he thinks of nothing but sermons.' And Constance exclaimed, 'I am sure he doesn't preach!' 'Oh no, nothing comes out of his mouth that he can help; trust him for that.' 'Then how do you know?' 'By the stodgy look of him. He would be the awfullest of prosers if he had the gift of the gab.' 'You are an ungrateful boy,' said Rose. 'I am sure he must be very kind to you.' 'Can't help it,' said Herbert. 'The old fellow would be well enough if he had any go in him.' 'I am sure he took you out hunting,' exclaimed Constance indignantly, 'the day they took us to the meet. And he leapt all the ditches when you--' He broke in, 'Well, what was I to do when I've never had the chance to learn to sit a horse? You'll see next winter.' 'Did you hurt yourself?' asked Rose, rather mischievously. To which Herbert turned a deaf ear and began to expatiate upon the game of Northmoor, till other sounds led him away to fall upon the other _tete-a-tete_ between Ida and Sibyl Grover. In Ida's mind the honours of Northmoor were dearly purchased by the dulness and strictness of the life there. 'My uncle was as cross as two sticks if ever Herbert or I were too late for prayers, and he said it was nonsense of Herbert to say that kneeling at church spoilt his trousers--kneeling just like a school child! It made me so faint!' 'And it looks so!' 'I tried, because Lady Adela and Miss Bertha and all do,' said Ida, 'and they looked at me! But it made me faint, as I knew it would,' and she put her head on one side. 'Poor dear! So they were so very religious! Did that spoil it all?' 'Well, we had pretty things off the Christmas-tree, and we lived quite as ladies, and drove out in the carriage.' 'No parties nor dances? Or were they too religious?'