ll
shaking his head, said that he feared it could not be settled before
the end of April. John Ball sat by, leaning his face, as usual, upon
his umbrella, and saying nothing. It did, for a moment, strike Miss
Mackenzie as singular, that she should be reduced from affluence to
absolute nothingness in the way of property, in so very placid a
manner. Mr Slow seemed to be thinking that he was, upon the whole,
doing rather well for his client.

"Of course you understand, Miss Mackenzie, that you can have any
money you require for your present personal wants."

This had been said to her so often, that she took it as one of Mr
Slow's legal formulas, which meant nothing to the laity.

On that occasion also Mr Ball walked home with her, and was very
eloquent about the law's delays. He also seemed to speak as though
there was nothing to be regretted by anybody, except the fact that he
could not get possession of the property as quick as he wished. He
said not a word of anything else, and Margaret, of course, submitted
to be talked to by him rather than to talk herself. Of Lady Ball's
visit he said not a word, nor did she. She asked after the children,
and especially after Jack. One word she did say:

"I had hoped Jack would have come to see me at my lodgings."

"Perhaps he had better not," said Jack's father, "till all is
settled. We have had much to trouble us at home since my father's
death."

Then of course she dropped that subject. She had been greatly
startled on that day on hearing her cousin called Sir John by Mr
Slow. Up to that moment it had never occurred to her that the man of
whom she was so constantly thinking as her possible husband was a
baronet. To have been Mrs Ball seemed to her to have been possible;
but that she should become Lady Ball was hardly possible. She wished
that he had not been called Sir John. It seemed to her to be almost
natural that people should be convinced of the impropriety of such a
one as her becoming the wife of a baronet.

During this period she saw her sister-in-law once or twice, who on
those occasions came down to Arundel Street. She herself would not go
to Gower Street, because of the presence of Miss Colza. Miss Colza
still continued to live there, and still continued very much in
arrear in her contributions to the household fund. Mrs Mackenzie did
not turn her out, because she would,--so she said,--in such case get
nothing. Mrs Tom was by this time quite convinced that the