home. And let none ever
name the matter afore her again; let bygones be bygones. Only give her
to see that you account of her as a silly child for the past, but yet
that you have hope she shall be wiser in the future."

"Well, herein I see not with you," said Lady Enville. "I had thought it
rare good fortune for Blanche to wed with Don John."

Sir Thomas moved uneasily, but did not answer. Philippa turned and
looked at the speaker.

"That was like," she said quietly. But neither of her hearers knew how
much meaning lay beneath the words.

"And what think you touching Lucrece?" asked Mrs Tremayne the next day,
when Philippa was again at the parsonage.

"I ne'er had a fancy for snakes, Thekla."

"Then you count her deceitful? That is it which I have feared."

"Have a care," said Philippa. "But what is to fear? A care of what?"

"Nay, what feareth any from a snake? That he should sting, I take it.
He may do it while you be looking. But he is far more like to do it
when you be not."

The evening before the two sisters were to return to Enville Court, Mrs
Tremayne and Clare were sitting alone in the parlour. Clare had
manoeuvred to this end, for she wanted to ask her friend a question; and
she knew there was a particular period of the evening when Mr Tremayne
and Arthur were generally out, and Lysken was occupied elsewhere. Mrs
Rose and Blanche remained to be disposed of; but the former relieved
Clare's mind by trotting away with a little basket of creature comforts
to see a sick woman in the village; and it was easy to ask Blanche to
leave her private packing until that period. But now that Clare had got
Mrs Tremayne to herself, she was rather shy in beginning her inquiries.
She framed her first question in a dozen different ways, rejected all
for various reasons, and finally--feeling that her opportunity was
sliding away--came out with that one which she had most frequently cast
aside.

"Mistress Tremayne, account you it alway sinful to harbour discontent?"

"I could much better answer thee, dear maid, if I knew the fountain
whence thy question springeth."

This was just the point which Clare was most shy of revealing. But she
really wanted Mrs Tremayne's opinion; and with an effort she conquered
her shyness.

"Well,--suppose it had pleased God to cast my lot some whither, that the
daily work I had to do was mighty dislikeful to me; and some other
maiden that I knew, had that to do withal whi