is late brother--"I suppose poor Tom had some way of managing her. How
did he do it, I wonder? If she had been the wife of a bricklayer, she
is the sort of woman who would have been kept in perfect order by a
vigorous and regular application of her husband's fist. But Tom wasn't
a bricklayer. I wonder how Tom did it?" After a little hard thinking on
this point Sir Patrick gave up the problem as beyond human solution. "It
must be done," he concluded. "And my own mother-wit must help me to do
it."

In that resigned frame of mind he knocked at the door of Lady Lundie's
boudoir.

CHAPTER THE TWENTY-SEVENTH.

OUTWITTED.

SIR PATRICK found his sister-in-law immersed in domestic business. Her
ladyship's correspondence and visiting list, her ladyship's household
bills and ledgers; her ladyship's Diary and Memorandum-book (bound in
scarlet morocco); her ladyship's desk, envelope-case, match-box, and
taper candlestick (all in ebony and silver); her ladyship herself,
presiding over her responsibilities, and wielding her materials, equal
to any calls of emergency, beautifully dressed in correct morning
costume, blessed with perfect health both of the secretions and the
principles; absolutely void of vice, and formidably full of virtue,
presented, to every properly-constituted mind, the most imposing
spectacle known to humanity--the British Matron on her throne, asking
the world in general, When will you produce the like of Me?

"I am afraid I disturb you," said Sir Patrick. "I am a perfectly idle
person. Shall I look in a little later?"

Lady Lundie put her hand to her head, and smiled faintly.

"A little pressure _here,_ Sir Patrick. Pray sit down. Duty finds me
earnest; Duty finds me cheerful; Duty finds me accessible. From a poor,
weak woman, Duty must expect no more. Now what is it?" (Her ladyship
consulted her scarlet memorandum-book.) "I have got it here, under
its proper head, distinguished by initial letters. P.--the poor.
No. H.M.--heathen missions. No. V.T.A.--Visitors to arrive. No. P. I.
P.--Here it is: private interview with Patrick. Will you forgive me the
little harmless familiarity of omitting your title? Thank you! You are
always so good. I am quite at your service when you like to begin. If
it's any thing painful, pray don't hesitate. I am quite prepared."

With that intimation her ladyship threw herself back in her chair, with
her elbows on the arms, and her fingers joined at the tips, as if
she was r