I could not see that Clare liked her.

She soon made herself almost indispensable. She gave orders to the
housekeeper and cook, she managed everything; she received our visitors
and entertained them with marvelous grace and courtesy; she understood
all the affairs of the estate; in fact, she was, to all intents and
purposes, mistress of the house.

I insisted upon making her a very handsome allowance, which, after a
little resistance, she accepted.

For a time everything went on most prosperously. How I loved my new life
no words of mine can tell. The luxury of having plenty of money, of
being able to do what I liked with my time, of seeing my sister so
happy, of being altogether without those dark fears for the future which
so often beset those whose lot is hard work and very limited means--I
thanked God for it all.

I had made the acquaintance of most of the tenants on the estate, and my
neighbors had begun to call upon me. It was surprising how every one
liked, or, I may say, loved, my sister Clare. That invalid couch of hers
became a kind of center of society.

One morning I saw some cards lying on the hall table. Coralie was
standing near when I took them up. "Sir John Thesiger," "Lady Thesiger."

"That is a new name," I said to mademoiselle.

When she took the card from my hand and saw it, a dark look came over
her face; I saw her lips close more firmly.

"Have you not heard of the Thesigers? I thought every one knew Sir John.
They live at Harden Manor, about five miles from here."

"Are they old friends of the family?" I asked.

Again the darkening look and the tightening lips.

"Both Sir Barnard and Miles knew them, but I cannot say whether they
were very great friends. Shall you call?"

She asked the question carelessly, but I saw that she was awaiting my
reply with painful anxiety.

"Yes, I shall go; I like to be on friendly and intimate terms with all
my neighbors. Sir John is the Tory member for Chingwell, is he not?"

"Yes," she replied, shortly.

"And next year I hope to be returned for Anstey, so that, of all men, I
shall probably find him the most useful of acquaintances."

She turned away, and a sudden conviction came over me that, for some
reason or other, Coralie d'Aubergne did not like the Thesigers. I rode
over to Harden Manor on the day following, and found Sir John at home.

I liked him at first sight--a frank, kind-hearted English gentleman. He
was pleased to see me, and we sp