The next morning Mr. Kendal ordered his horse early, and hastened his breakfast; told Albinia not to wait dinner for him, and rode off by one gate, without looking behind him, as the other opened to admit Captain Pringle. She marvelled whither he had fled, and thought herself fortunate in having only two fruitless discussions in his absence. Not till eight o’clock did he make his appearance, and then it was in an unhearing, unseeing mood, so that nothing could be extracted, except that he did not want any dinner; and it was not till late in the evening that he abruptly announced, ‘Lucy is coming home on Wednesday. Colonel Bury will bring her to Woodside.’ What? have you heard from Maurice?’ ‘No; I have been at Fairmead.’ You! To-day! How was Winifred?’ ‘Better--I believe.’ ‘How does she like the governess?’ ‘I did not hear.’ Gradually something oozed out about Lucy having been happy and valuable, and after Sophy had gone to bed, he inquired how the courtship was going on? ‘Worse than ever,’ Albinia said. ‘I suppose it must end in this?’ ‘In what!’ ‘If there is no more satisfactory arrangement, I suppose we must receive Mrs. Meadows.’ If Albinia could but have heard what a scolding her brother was undergoing from his vivacious wife! ‘As if poor Albinia had not enough on her hands! Of all inmates in the world! When Mr. Kendal himself did not like it! Well! Maurice would certainly have advised Sinbad to request the honour of taking the Old Man of the Sea for a promenade a cheval. There was an end of Albinia. There would never be any room in her house, and she would never be able to come from home. And after having seen her worked to death, he to advise--’ ‘I did not advise, I only listened. What he came for was to silence his conscience and his wife by saying, “Your brother thinks it out of the question.” Now to this my conscience would not consent.’ ‘More shame for it, then!’ ‘I could not say I thought these two people’s happiness should be sacrificed, or the poor old woman left desolate. Albinia has spirits and energy for a worse infliction, and Edmund Kendal himself is the better for every shock to his secluded habits. If it is a step I would never dare advise, still less would I dare dissuade.’ ‘Well! I thought Mr. Kendal at least had more sense.’ ‘Ay, nothing is so provoking as to see others more unselfish than ourselves.’ ‘All I have to say,’ concluded Mrs. Ferrars, walking off, ‘is, I wish there was a law against people going and marrying two wives.’