She had been born many years too
early to follow up any of the various paths now open to the intelligent,
educated woman. Yet she belonged, by birth and upbringing, to that
age-long tradition of command which perhaps counts for most of all to the
one class which has remained in England much the same for generations.

The Pendarths had once been very great people in Cornwall, and long
records of the family are to be found in all county histories. Olivia
Pendarth was wordlessly very proud of their lineage, and it is no
exaggeration to say that she would have died rather than in any way
disgrace it.

A woman of great activity, she had perforce no way of expending her
energies excepting in connection with the people about her, and always in
intention at least she spent herself to some beneficent purpose. Yet
there was a considerable circle who much disliked her and whom she
herself regarded with almost limitless scorn. These were the folk, idle
people most of them, and very well-to-do, who, having made fortunes in
London, now lived within a radius of five to ten miles round Beechfield.

Miss Pendarth was on excellent terms with what one must call, for want of
a better name, the cottage class. To them she was a good, firm, faithful
friend, seeing them through their many small and great troubles, and
taking real pains to help their sons and daughters to make good starts
in life. Many a village mother had asked Miss Pendarth to "speak" to her
naughty girl or headstrong son, and as she was quite fearless, her words
often had a surprising effect. She neither patronised nor scolded, and it
was impossible to take her in.

But when dealing with the affairs of those of her neighbours, who were
well-to-do, and who regarded themselves as belonging to her own class, it
was quite another matter. With regard to them and their affairs she was
what they often angrily accused her of being--a busy-body and even a
mischief-maker. Her lively mind caused her to take a great interest--too
great an interest--in the private affairs of people some of whom she
disliked, and even despised. She was also not as scrupulous as she might
have been in repeating unsavoury gossip. Yet, even so, so substantially
good a woman was she, that what some people called Miss Pendarth's
interfering ways had more than once brought about a reconciliation
between husband and wife, or between an old-fashioned mother and a
rebellious daughter. It was hopeless to try to