r, the remaining child left to Frances. But
the third trouble was at that moment pressing the sorest. Mr Monke of
Potheridge, a gentleman of good family and fortune, had requested Lady
Lisle's permission to seek the hand of her widowed daughter. For
Frances was Lady Lisle's child by affinity in a double manner, being
both her husband's daughter and her son's widow. Lady Lisle, under the
impression that Mr Monke was of the "old doctrine" which she professed
herself, not only gave him her leave, but aided him by every means in
her power, in the hope that Frances might thus be converted from the
error of her ways. Very bitter was this to the bereaved mother of the
dead child. To be asked to marry again at all was no light matter; but
to have the subject continually pressed upon her by the mother and
sister of the lost husband whose memory she cherished with unabated
devotion,--this was painful indeed. Philippa was less to blame in the
matter than her mother. Being herself of less delicate mould than her
sister-in-law, she really did not see half the pain she inflicted; and
her energetic nature would have led her to endeavour to forget sorrow,
rather than to nurse it, at any time. In her belief, Frances thought
and mourned too much; she wanted rousing; she ought to make an effort to
shake off all her ills, physical and mental. Philippa had honestly
mourned for her dead brother, as well as for his child; but now it was
over and done with; they were gone, and could not be recalled: and life
must go on, not be spent in moping and moaning. This was Philippa's
view of matters; and under its influence she gave more distress to the
sister whom she dearly loved than, to do her justice, she had the
faintest idea that she was giving.

When Lady Frances had unburdened herself, by pouring her troubles into
her friend's sympathising ear, Philippa in her turn took Isoult aside
and bespoke her sympathy.

"Frances is but foolish and fantastical," she said, "or she should wed
with Jack's old friend Mr Monke, that would fain have her. My Lady my
mother desireth the same much. It should ease her vastly as matter of
money. This very winter doth she sell two parcels of the Frithelstoke
lands, for to raise money; and at after, there is but Frithelstoke
itself, and Crowe; after the which sold, we may go a-begging."

"An' you so do, Mrs Philippa," said Isoult with a smile, "metrusteth you
shall come the first to Bradmond, after the