ersisted in preparing for them.

Nuttie's rage for tennis, and apparent forgetfulness of her old life
and aspirations, might be disappointing, but it conduced to make her
mother's task easier than if she had been her original, critical, and
protesting self. In the new and brilliant surroundings she troubled
herself much less than could have been expected at the failure of her
father, his house, nay, and of the parish itself, in coming up to the
St. Ambrose standard. How much was owing to mere novelty and
intoxication, how much to a yet unanalysed disappointment, how much to
May's having thrown her upon the more frivolous Blanche, could not be
guessed. The effect was unsatisfactory to her mother, but a certain
relief, for Nuttie's aid would have been only mischievous in the
household difficulties that weighed on the anxious conscience. Good
servants would not stay at Bridgefield Hall for unexplained causes,
which their mistress believed to be connected with Gregorio, or with
the treasure of a cook-housekeeper over whom she was forbidden to
exercise any authority, and who therefore entirely neglected all meals
which the master did not share with the ladies. Fortunately, Mr.
Egremont came in one day at their luncheon and found nothing there but
semi-raw beef, upon which there was an explosion; and being by this
time convinced that his wife both would and could minister to his
comfort, her dominion was established in the female department, though,
as long as Gregorio continued paramount with his master, and the
stables remained in their former state, it was impossible to bring
matters up to the decorous standard of the Rectory, and if ever his
mistress gave an order he did not approve, Gregorio overruled it as her
ignorance. In fact, he treated both the ladies with a contemptuous
sort of civility. Meantime Mr. Egremont was generally caressing and
admiring in his ways towards his wife, with only occasional bursts of
temper when anything annoyed him. He was proud of her, gave her a
liberal allowance, and only refused to be troubled; and she was really
happy in his affection, for which she felt a gratitude only too humble
in the eyes of her daughter.

They had parties. Blanche's ambition of tennis courts all over the
lawn was fulfilled, and sundry dinners, which were crosses to Alice,
who had neither faculty nor training for a leader and hostess, suffered
much from the menu, more from the pairing of her guests, more ag