h's feet. "So
intelligent too!" said the enthusiastic--"so learned even!" A member of
the Roman "Accademia dei Lincei," with only one other woman to keep her
company in that august band; and yet so modest, so unpretending, so full
of laughter, and life, and sex! Mrs. Hooper, who generally found herself
at these official luncheons in a place which her small egotism resented,
had watched her sister-in-law from a distance, envying her dress, her
title, her wealth, bitterly angry that Ewen's sister should have a place
in the world that Ewen's wife could never hope to touch, and irrevocably
deciding that Ella Risborough was "fast" and gave herself airs. Nor did
the afternoon visit, when the Risboroughs, with great difficulty, had
made time for the family call on the Hoopers, supply any more agreeable
memories. Ella Risborough had been so rapturously glad to see her
brother, and in spite of a real effort to be friendly had had so little
attention to spare for his wife! It was true she had made much of the
Hooper children, and had brought them all presents from Italy. But Mrs.
Hooper had chosen to think the laughing sympathy and evident desire to
please "affectation," or patronage, and had been vexed in her silent
corner to see how little her own two girls could hold their own beside
Constance.

As for Lord Risborough, he had frankly found it difficult to remember
Mrs. Hooper's identity, while on the other hand he fell at once into
keen discussion of some recent finds in the Greek islands with Ewen
Hooper, to whom in the course of half an hour it was evident that he
took a warm liking. He put up his eye-glass to look at the Hooper
children; he said vaguely, "I hope that some day you and Mrs. Hooper
will descend upon us in Rome;" and then he hurried his wife away with
the audible remark--"We really must get to Blenheim, Ellie, in good
time. You promised the Duchess--"

So ill-bred--so snobbish--to talk of your great acquaintances in public!
And as for Lady Risborough's answer--"I don't care twopence about the
Duchess, Hugh! and I haven't seen Ewen for six years,"--it had been
merely humbug, for she had obediently followed her husband, all
the same.

Recollections of this kind went trickling through Mrs. Hooper's mind,
roused by Ewen's angry defence of his sister. It was all very well, but
now the long-legged child had grown up, and was going to put her--Ellen
Hooper's--daughters in the shade, to make them feel their inferior