thing!"

"Poor Aldous!" said Lady Winterbourne, thoughtfully, looking far ahead
with her odd look of absent rigidity, which had in reality so little to
do with a character essentially soft; "but you see he _did_ know all
about her opinions. And I don't think--no, I really don't think--I could
speak to her."

In truth, this woman of nearly seventy--old in years, but wholly young
in temperament--was altogether under Marcella's spell--more at ease with
her already than with most of her own children, finding in her
satisfaction for a hundred instincts, suppressed or starved by her own
environment, fascinated by the girl's friendship, and eagerly grateful
for her visits. Miss Raeburn thought it all both incomprehensible and
silly.

"Apparently no one can!" cried that lady in answer to her friend's
demurrer; "is all the world afraid of her?"

And she departed in wrath. But she knew, nevertheless, that she was just
as much afraid of Marcella as anybody else. In her own sphere at the
Court, or in points connected with what was due to the family, or to
Lord Maxwell especially, as the head of it, this short, capable old lady
could hold her own amply with Aldous's betrothed, could maintain,
indeed, a sharp and caustic dignity, which kept Marcella very much in
order. Miss Raeburn, on the defensive, was strong; but when it came to
attacking Marcella's own ideas and proceedings, Lord Maxwell's sister
became shrewdly conscious of her own weaknesses. She had no wish to
measure her wits on any general field with Marcella's. She said to
herself that the girl was too clever and would talk you down.

Meanwhile, things went untowardly in various ways. Marcella disciplined
herself before the Gairsley meeting, and went thither resolved to give
Aldous as much sympathy as she could. But the performance only repelled
a mind over which Wharton was every day gaining more influence. There
was a portly baronet in the chair; there were various Primrose Dames on
the platform and among the audience; there was a considerable
representation of clergy; and the labourers present seemed to Marcella
the most obsequious of their kind. Aldous spoke well--or so the audience
seemed to think; but she could feel no enthusiasm for anything that he
said. She gathered that he advocated a Government inspection of
cottages, more stringent precautions against cattle disease, better
technical instruction, a more abundant provision of allotments and small
freeholds,