e. Mrs. Gaddesden's own
allowance--for the Squire had always obstinately declined to settle
any capital on his married daughters--had been, for the first time,
paid at the proper date--by Elizabeth Bremerton! At least, if the
Squire had signed it, she had written the cheque. And she might
perfectly well have signed it. For, as Pamela had long since
reported to her sisters, Elizabeth paid all the house and estate
accounts over her own signature, and seemed to have much more
accurate knowledge than the Squire himself of the state of his bank
balance, and his money affairs generally.

Not that she ever paraded these things in the least. But neither did
she make any unnecessary mystery about it with the Squire's family.
And indeed they were quite evident to any one living in the house.
At times she would make little, laughing, apologetic remarks to one
of the daughters--'I hope you don't mind!--the Squire wants me to
get things straight.' But in general, her authority by now had
become a matter of course.

Her position in the Mannering household, however, was as nothing to
her position in the estate and the neighbourhood. That was the
amazing thing which had by now begun to set all tongues wagging. Sir
Henry Chicksands, meeting Mrs. Gaddesden at the station, had poured
himself out to her. 'That extraordinary young woman your father has
got hold of, is simply transforming the whole place. The farmers on
the whole like her very much. But if they don't like her, they're
_afraid of her_! For Heaven's sake don't let her kill herself with
over-work. She'll soon be leading the county.'

Yes. Work indeed! How on earth did she get through it? In
the mornings there she was in the library, absorbed in the
catalogue, writing to the Squire's dictation, transcribing or
translating Greek--his docile and obedient slave. Then in the
afternoon--bicycling all over the estate, and from dark onwards,
till late at night, busy with correspondence and office work, except
just for dinner and an hour afterwards.

* * * * *

The door of the outer hall opened and shut. Elizabeth and a young
man--the new agent--entered the inner hall, where Mrs. Gaddesden was
sitting, Elizabeth acknowledging her presence with a pleasant nod
and smile. But they passed quickly through to the room at the
further end of the hall, which was now an estate office where
Elizabeth spent the latter part of her day. It was connected both
wit