She seems sure of his affection, but she
shrinks from entering on a position for which she is so unfit.'

'Is she really unfit?'

Miss Lang hesitated. 'She is a complete lady, and as good and
conscientious a creature as ever existed; but you see, Lady Kenton, her
whole life has been spent here, ever since she was sixteen, she has known
nothing beyond the schoolroom, and how she is ever to fulfil the duties
of a peeress, and the head of a large establishment, I really cannot see.
It might be just misery to her, and to him, too.'

'Has she good sense?'

'Yes, very fair sense. We can trust to her judgment implicitly in
dealing with the girls, and she teaches well, but she is not at all
clever, and could never shine.'

'Perhaps a person who wanted to shine might be embarrassing,' said Lady
Kenton, rather amused.

'Well, it might be so. The poor man is certainly no star himself, but
surely he needs some one who would draw him out, and push him forward,
make a way in society, in fact.'

'That might not be for his domestic happiness.'

'Perhaps not, but your Ladyship has not seen what a poor little
insignificant creature she is--though, indeed, we are both very fond of
her, and should be very much relieved not to think we ought to strengthen
her scruples. For, indeed,' and tears actually came into the good lady's
eyes, 'I am sure that though she would release him for his good, that it
would break her heart. Shall I call her? Ah!' as a voice began to
become very audible on the other side of the doors, 'she has a visitor.'

'Not Lord Northmoor. It is a woman's voice, and a loud one.'

Presently, indeed, there was a tone that made Lady Kenton say, 'People do
scent things very fast. It must be some one wanting to apply for
patronage.'

'I am a little afraid it is that sister-in-law of his,' said Miss Lang,
lowering her voice. 'I saw her once at the choral festival--and--and I
wasn't delighted.'

'Perhaps I had better come another day,' said Lady Kenton. 'We seem to
be almost listening.'

Even as the lady was taking her leave, the words were plainly heard--

'Artful, mean-spirited, time-serving viper as you are, bent on dragging
him down to destruction!'

CHAPTER VII
MORTONS AND MANNERS

'Shillyshally,' quoth Mrs. Charles Morton over her brother-in-law's
letter. 'Does he think a mother is to be put off like that?'

So she arrayed herself in panoply of glittering jet and nodding plumes,
an