He winked his eye at me solemnly. "It's great," he said. "What a mind she has! There she'll sit at Breysgate--with the town under one foot, and Fillingford and Oxley under the other!" "Hardly that!" I smiled. "Look what she's giving now! Aye, and, my boy, think of what she's still got left to give! If human nature goes on being what it's been ever since I remember, Miss Driver's word will be law in both those houses--if not now, in a few years at all events. It's a lot of money--but it's not ill-spent. It makes her the queen of the place, Austin!" He laughed in enjoyment. "I wish old Nick Driver could see this! He'd be proud of his daughter." "However much or little that may be the result, I'm sure it was not her object." He looked at me with a good-humored pity; he thought me a fool in practical matters. "Have that as you like," he said, "but she won't object to the result--nor waste it, either--I promise you." He chuckled again. "She's got back at them with a vengeance!" It was true. Never even in the days before the flight did she make such a figure. The Aspenicks surrendered at discretion, Fillingford Manor was in forced alliance, Oxley Lodge was annexed; Hingston did not hold out long, and Dormer, placated by a big price for his farms, put his pride and his sulks where he had put the money. The town was at Jenny's feet, even if it were an exaggeration to say that it was under them. Timeservers bowed the knee to so much power; the charitable accepted so splendid an atonement. If any still had conscientious doubts, Alison's conduct was invoked as warrant and example. If he were enthusiastically for the mistress of Breysgate now, who had a right to criticise--who could arrogate to himself such merit as would entitle him to refuse to forgive--even though a certain feature in the arrangement made it forever impossible to forget? The chorus of applause was loud--and almost unanimous; but it was broken by the voice of one sturdy dissenter--one to whom interest could not appeal and, even had she wanted anything of Jenny, would have appealed vainly--one on whom the sentimental side had no effect, since both her sentiment and her charity moved in the strait fetters of unbending rules. Mrs. Jepps was rigid and obstinate. She had not fallen to the temptation of using the park road, as Lady Aspenick had: she would not now bow the knee to Baal, however splendid and imposing a deity Baal might be. Many had a try at shaking her--and Alison among the rest. He told me about his effort, laughing as he confessed his failure. "I was well snubbed. She told me that Romish practices led to Romish principles, and that where they led it was easy to see; but that she for her part had other principles and didn't palter with them. When it suited Miss Driver to explain, she was ready to listen. Till then--nothing to do with the woman!"