ts.

It is true that the large house on the edge of Woolwich Common was
seldom without one or two of the Ffolliot children. Mr Ffolliot was
most accommodating, and was more then ready to accept the General's
constant invitations to his offspring; but in spite of these
concessions Mrs Grantly was never wholly satisfied, and it was
something of a grievance with her that Marjory was so firm in her
refusal to "give away" any one of the six.

Casual observers would have said that Mrs Grantly was by far the
stronger character of the two, but people who knew General Grantly
well, realised that his daughter had her full share of his quiet
strength and determination. Mrs Ffolliot, like her father, was
easy-going, gentle, and tolerant; it was only when you came "up
against" either of them that you realised the solid rock beneath the
soft exterior.

Now there was nothing hidden about Mrs Grantly. She appeared exactly
what she was. Everything about her was definite and decided, though
she was various and unexpected as our British weather. She was an
extraordinary mixture of whimsicality and common sense, of heroic
courage and craven timidity, of violence and tenderness, of
impulsiveness and caution. In very truth a delightful bundle of
paradox. Quick-witted and impatient, she had yet infinite toleration
for the simpleton, and could on occasion suffer fools with a gladness
quite unshared by her much gentler daughter or her husband. But the
snob, the sycophant, and, above all, the humbug met with short shrift
at her hands, and the insincere person hated her heartily. She spoke
her mind with the utmost freedom on every possible occasion, and as she
had plenty of brains and considerable shrewdness her remarks were
generally illuminating.

The villagers at Redmarley adored her, for, from her very first visit
she made her presence felt.

It had long been the custom at Redmarley for the ladies in the village
and neighbourhood to meet once a week during the earlier winter months
to make garments for presentation to the poor at Christmas, and the
first meeting since the Manor House possessed a mistress took place
there under Mrs Ffolliot's somewhat timid presidency. It coincided
with Mrs Grantly's first visit since her daughter's marriage, and she
expressed her willingness to help.

At Mrs Ffolliot's suggestion it had already been arranged that a blouse
instead of a flannel petticoat should this year be given to the younge