be driven away, or at least find it an
effort to remain, if Lady Northmoor were like her sister-in-law.'

'Ah, now, that's just what would make it tolerable to me. I could get a
rise or two out of that Mrs. Morton. I did get her to be confidential
and to tell me how much better the honours would have sat upon her dear
husband. I believe she thinks that if he were alive he would have shared
them like the Spartan kings. She wishes that "her brother, Lord
Northmoor" (you should hear the tone), "were more worldly, and she begs
me to impress on him the duty of doing everything for her dear Herbert,
who, in the nature of things, must be the heir to the peerage."'

'I am sure I hope not,' said Lady Adela. 'He is an insufferable boy.
The people about the place can't endure him. He is quite insolent.'

'The animal, man, when in certain stages of development, has a peculiar
tendency to be unpleasant,' observed Bertha philosophically. 'To my
mind, Master Herbert is the most promising of the specimens.'

'Birdie! He is much worse than his uncle.'

'Promising, I said, not performing. Whatever promise there may have been
in Northmoor must have been nipped upon the top of a high stool, but if
he has sense enough to put that boy into good hands he may come to
something. I like him enough myself to feel half inclined to do what I
can towards licking him into shape, for the honour of the family! It is
that girl Ida that riles me most.'

'Yes,' said Lady Adela, 'she behaved fairly well in company, but I saw
her tittering and whispering with Emily Trotman in a tone that I thought
very bad for Emily.'

'She's spoilt; her mother worships her,' said Bertha. 'I had a pleasing
confidence or two about how she is already admired, or, as Mrs. Morton
calls it, how the gentlemen are after her; but now she shall not put up
with anything but a _real_ gentleman, and of course her uncle will do
something handsome for her.'

'Poor man! I wish him joy. Has he more belongings?'

'Providentially, no. We have the honour of standing nearest to him, and
she seems to have none at all, unless they should be attracted by the
scent.'

'That is not likely,' said Lady Adela; 'she was a clergy orphan, and
never heard of any relations.'

'Then you really know no harm of them, in these four or five months?'
said Mrs. Bury.

'No; except having these relations,' said Adela.

'Except being just sensible enough not to afford even the pleasure