sit a lady, a young and a beautiful lady, every day, whereas his
wife visited the lady not at all? Therefore they took it turn about,
except that sometimes the Doctor accompanied his wife. The Doctor had
once suggested that his wife should take the poor lady out in her
carriage. But against this even Mrs. Wortle had rebelled. "Under such
circumstances as hers she ought not to be seen driving about," said Mrs.
Wortle. The Doctor had submitted to this, but still thought that the
world of Bowick was very cruel.

Mrs. Wortle, though she made no complaint, thought that she was used
cruelly in the matter. There had been an intention of going into Brittany
during these summer holidays. The little tour had been almost promised.
But the affairs of Mrs. Peacocke were of such a nature as not to allow the
Doctor to be absent. "You and Mary can go, and Henry will go with you."
Henry was a bachelor brother of Mrs. Wortle, who was always very much at
the Doctor's disposal, and at hers. But certainly she was not going to
quit England, not going to quit home at all, while her husband remained
there, and while Mrs. Peacocke was an inmate of the school. It was not
that she was jealous. The idea was absurd. But she knew very well what
Mrs. Stantiloup would say.

CHAPTER II.

'EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS.'

BUT there arose a trouble greater than that occasioned by the 'Broughton
Gazette.' There came out an article in a London weekly newspaper, called
'Everybody's Business,' which nearly drove the Doctor mad. This was on
the last Saturday of the holidays. The holidays had been commenced in the
middle of July, and went on till the end of August. Things had not gone
well at Bowick during these weeks. The parents of all the four
newly-expected boys had--changed their minds. One father had discovered
that he could not afford it. Another declared that the mother could not
be got to part with her darling quite so soon as he had expected. A third
had found that a private tutor at home would best suit his purposes.
While the fourth boldly said that he did not like to send his boy because
of the "fuss" which had been made about Mr. and Mrs. Peacocke. Had this
last come alone, the Doctor would probably have resented such a
communication; but following the others as it did, he preferred the fourth
man to any of the other three. "Miserable cowards," he said to himself,
as he docketed the letters and put them away. But the greatest