Tis that little giggling Scotch girl!' he said. 'Well, we are quit
of her, anyway. 'Tis a pity that Mark entangled himself with her, and
a mother-in-law into the bargain! I was a fool to expect to get any
good out of him!'

This was said to his daughter, with whom he was left alone; for Miss
Headworth could not bear to accept his hospitality a moment longer than
needful, and besides had been so much shaken in nerves as to suspect
that an illness was coming on, and hurried home to be nursed by Mary
Nugent. Canon Egremont was obliged to go back to Redcastle to finish
his residence, and his wife, who had been absent nearly a month from
her family, thought it really wisest to let the father and daughter be
thrown upon one another at once, so that Ursula might have the benefit
of her father's softened mood.

There could be no doubt that he was softened, and that he had derived
some improvement from the year and a half that his wife had been with
him. It might not have lifted him up a step, but it had arrested him
in his downward course. Selfish and indolent he was as ever, but there
had been a restraint on his amusements, and a withdrawal from his worst
associates, such as the state of his health might continue, above all
if Gregorio could be dispensed with. The man himself had become aware
of the combination against him, and, though reckoning on his master's
inertness and dependence upon him, knew that a fresh offence might
complete his overthrow, and therefore took care to be on his good
behaviour.

Thus Nuttie's task might be somewhat smoothed; but the poor girl felt
unspeakably desolate as she ate her breakfast all alone with a dull
post-bag, and still more so when, having seen the housekeeper, who,
happily for her, was a good and capable woman, and very sorry for her,
she had to bethink herself what to do in that dreary sitting-room
during the hour when she had always been most sure of her
sister-mother's dear company. How often she had grumbled at being
called on to practise duets for her father's evening lullaby! She
supposed she ought to get something up, and she proceeded to turn over
and arrange the music with a sort of sick loathing for whatever was
connected with those days of impatient murmurs, which she would so
gladly have recalled. Everything had fallen into disorder, as Blanche
and May had left it the last time they had played there; and the
overlooking it, and putting aside the pieces which she