urst made a movement of fierce impatience. She had been put in
her place by this stranger and furiously she resented it. But the man was
a baronet, and a marvellous catch for a son-in-law; and she did not dare
to put her resentment into words.

She got up therefore, and flounced angrily to the door. Sir Eustace arose
without haste and with a stretch of his long arm opened it for her.

She flung him a glance, half-hostile, half-awed, as she went through. She
had a malignant hatred for the upper class, despite the fact that her own
husband was a member thereof. And yet she held it in unwilling respect.
Sir Eustace's nonchalantly administered snub was far harder to bear than
any open rudeness from a man of her own standing would have been.

Fiercely indignant, she entered the kitchen, and caught Dinah peeping at
herself in the shining surface of the warming-pan after having removed
her hat.

"Ah, that's your game, my girl, is it?" she said. "You've come back the
grand lady, have you? You've no further, use for your mother, I daresay.
She may work her fingers to the bone for all you care--or ever will care
again."

Dinah whizzed round, scarlet and crestfallen. "Oh, Mother! How you
startled me! I only wanted to see if--if my hair was tidy."

"And that's one of your lies," said Mrs. Bathurst, with a heavy hand on
her shoulder. "They've taught you how to juggle with the truth, that's
plain. Oh yes, Lady Studley that is to be, you've learnt a lot since
you've been away, I can see--learnt to despise your mother, I'll lay a
wager. But I'll show you she's not to be despised by a prinking minx like
you. What did I send you in here for, eh?"

"To--to see to the kettle," faltered Dinah, shrinking before the stern
regard of the black eyes that so mercilessly held her own.

"And there it is ready to boil over, and you haven't touched it, you
worthless little hussy, you! Take that--and dare to disobey me again!"

She dealt the girl a blow with her open hand as she spoke, a swinging,
pitiless blow, on the cheek, and pushed her fiercely from her.

Dinah reeled momentarily. The sudden violence of the attack bewildered
her. Actually she had almost forgotten how dreadful her mother could be.
Then, recovering herself, she went to the fire and stooped over it,
without a word. She had a burning sensation at the throat, and she was on
the verge of passionate tears. The memory of Isabel's parting embrace,
the tender drawing of her arms