"Well, I may as well say it. Has Merry been talking to you?" "Our little Merry!" said Mrs. Cardew in astonishment. "Of course not. What in the world do you mean?" "I will not explain just at present, dear. You have some idea in your head, or you wouldn't speak to me as you do." "Well, the fact is, when my cousin, Lucia Lysle, was here yesterday she spoke very strongly to me on the subject of the girls' education, and urged me to do what I knew you would never for a moment consent to." "And what is that?" asked Mr. Gardew. "I seem to be an awful bugbear in this business." "No, dear, no. I quite understand your scruples, and--and--respect them. But Lucia naturally wanted us to seize the opportunity of two vacancies at Aylmer House, Mrs. Ward's school." "I shall soon begin to hate the name of Mrs. Ward," said Cardew with some asperity. "My cousin spoke most highly of the school," continued Mrs. Cardew. "She said that two years there, or perhaps a little longer, would give the girls that knowledge of life which will be all-essential to them in the future." "Home education is best; I know it is best," said Mr. Cardew. "I hate girls' schools." "I gave her to understand, dear, that those were your views; but I have something else to tell you. You know how attached we both are to the dear Tristrams." "Of course, of course," said Mr. Cardew with impatience. "Well, at supper yesterday evening Mr. Tristram began to talk to me on the very same subject as my cousin, Lady Lysle, had spoken of earlier in the day." "Very interfering of Tristram," replied Mr. Cardew. "He didn't mean it in that way, I assure you, my love; nothing could be nicer than the way he spoke. I was telling him--for I had not mentioned the fact to you, and it was troubling me a little--about Miss Beverley and Mr. Bennett, and asking his advice, as I often do. He immediately urged Aylmer House as the best possible substitute for Miss Beverley and Mr. Bennett. I repeated almost the same words I had used to Lucia Lysle--namely, that you were dead-set against girls' schools." "That was scarcely polite, my love, seeing that he sends his own daughters to school." "Well, yes," said Mrs. Cardew; "but of course their circumstances are very different." "I would be sorry if he should feel that difference, Sylvia. Tristram is a most excellent fellow." "He is--indeed he is!" said Mrs. Cardew. "Feeling for him, therefore, as you do, dear, you may perhaps be more inclined to listen to an alternative which he proposed to me." "And what is that, my dear?" "Well, he thinks we might occupy our house in London during the school terms of each year----" "During the school terms of each year!" echoed Mr. Cardew in a voice of dismay. "But I hate living in London." "Yes, dearest; but you see we must think of our girls. If you and I took the children to town they could have governesses and masters--the very best--and would thus be sufficiently educated to take their place in society."