sat, or rather reclined,
playing with a hand-screen, while she listened to the preceding
conversation. "And how goeth it with the child, tell me, Orige? She is
not yet wed, trow?"

"Not yet," replied Lady Enville, with her soft smile. "I shall ne'er be
astonied if she wed with Arthur Tremayne. 'Twere a very fair match, and
he is good enough for Clare."

"A good stock, and an old; and a good lad, I trust. Thou must have a
care, Orige, not to cast the child away on one that will not deal well
and truly by her."

"Oh, Arthur would deal well," said Lady Enville carelessly. "He is a
mighty sobersides, and so is Clare. They were cut out for one another."

"Poor child!" said Philippa.

"`Poor child'--and wherefore, Mrs Basset, say you so?"

"Because, Orige, it seemeth me she hath no mother."

"Nay, Mistress Basset, what signify you?"

"No mother, Orige--or as good as none. An' Clare had been my child, I
had never handed her o'er, to Arthur Tremayne nor any other, with no
more heed than a napron-full of sticks."

"Well, in very deed, I do take the better care of the twain for Blanche
to be well matched. Lo' you, Mistress Basset, Blanche is of good
lineage; and she is rare lovesome--well-nigh as fair as I was at her
years--so that I would not have her to cast herself away, in no wise:
but for Clare--which hath small beauty, and is of little sort--it maketh
not much matter whom she may wed."

"Good lack, Orige Enville, is a maid's heart no matter?--is a maid's
life no matter? Why, woman! thou lackest stirring up with a poker! I
marvel if I were sent hither to do it."

"Gramercy, Mistress Basset!" cried Lady Enville in horror. "That
stirring up is it which I can in no wise abide."

"The which shows how much thou lackest it. But I am afeard thou art too
far gone for any good. Well, I will look after the child; and I will
set Thekla on to do it. And if I find Arthur to be a good man and true,
and Clare reasonable well affected unto him,--trust me, I will not
interfere. But if not,--Orige, I will not see Walter's child cast away,
if thou wilt."

"Nay, good lack, Mrs Basset, what would you do?"

Lady Enville knew the energy and determination of the old lady's
character, and that if she set her mind upon a course of action, she was
pretty sure to carry it through, and to make other people do as she
wished.

"I will do _that_" said Philippa decidedly. "I will judge whether the
lot thou hast chalked o