mother's memory, in countenancing Mrs. Chump's transparent ambition to
take her place, as they did by staying in the house with the woman.
The colonel's few expressive glances at Mrs. Chump, and Mrs. Chump's
behaviour before the colonel, touched them with intense distaste for
their present surly aspect of life. Civilized little people are moved to
fulfil their destinies and to write their histories as much by distaste
as by appetite. This fresh sentimental emotion, which led them to
glorify their mother's image in their hearts, heightened and gave an
acid edge to their distaste for the think they saw. Nor was it wonderful
that Cornelia, said to be so like that mother, should think herself
bound to accept the office of taking the initiative in a practical
protest against the desecration of the name her mother had borne. At
times, I see that sentiment approaches too near the Holy of earthly
Holies for us to laugh at it; it has too much truth in it to be
denounced--nay, if we are not alert and quick of wit, we shall be
deceived by it, and wonder in the end, as the fool does, why heaven
struck that final blow; concluding that it was but another whimsy of the
Gods. The ladies prayed to their mother. They were indeed suffering vile
torture. Ethereal eyes might pardon the unconscious jugglery which made
their hearts cry out to her that the step they were about to take was
to save her children from seeming to acquiesce in a dishonour to her
memory. Some such words Adela's tongue did not shrink from; and as it is
a common habit for us to give to the objects we mentally address just
as much brain as is wanted for the occasion, she is not to be held
singular.

Colonel Pierson promised to stay a week on his return from Ireland.
"Will that person be here?" he designated Mrs. Chump; who, among other
things, had reproached him for fighting with foreign steel and wearing
any uniform but the red.

The ladies and Colonel Pierson were soon of one mind in relation to Mrs.
Chump. Certain salient quiet remarks dropped by him were cherished after
his departure; they were half-willing to think that he had been directed
to come to them, bearer of a message from a heavenly world to urge them
to action. They had need of a spiritual exaltation, to relieve them
from the palpable depression caused by the weight of Mrs. Chump. They
encouraged one another with exclamations on the oddness of a visit from
their mother's brother, at such a time of tri