a may discard
him in time."

"No. I believe she would take any one. Right up to the last, when her
boxes were packed, she was 'playing' the chinless curate. Both the
curates are chinless, but hers had the dampest hands. I came on them in
the Park. They were speaking of the Pentateuch."

"My dear boy! If possible, she has got worse and worse. It was your idea
of Italian travel that saved us!"

Philip brightened at the little compliment. "The odd part is that she
was quite eager--always asking me for information; and of course I was
very glad to give it. I admit she is a Philistine, appallingly ignorant,
and her taste in art is false. Still, to have any taste at all is
something. And I do believe that Italy really purifies and ennobles all
who visit her. She is the school as well as the playground of the world.
It is really to Lilia's credit that she wants to go there."

"She would go anywhere," said his mother, who had heard enough of the
praises of Italy. "I and Caroline Abbott had the greatest difficulty in
dissuading her from the Riviera."

"No, Mother; no. She was really keen on Italy. This travel is quite a
crisis for her." He found the situation full of whimsical romance: there
was something half attractive, half repellent in the thought of this
vulgar woman journeying to places he loved and revered. Why should she
not be transfigured? The same had happened to the Goths.

Mrs. Herriton did not believe in romance nor in transfiguration, nor in
parallels from history, nor in anything else that may disturb domestic
life. She adroitly changed the subject before Philip got excited. Soon
Harriet returned, having given her lesson in geography. Irma went to bed
early, and was tucked up by her grandmother. Then the two ladies worked
and played cards. Philip read a book. And so they all settled down to
their quiet, profitable existence, and continued it without interruption
through the winter.

It was now nearly ten years since Charles had fallen in love with Lilia
Theobald because she was pretty, and during that time Mrs. Herriton had
hardly known a moment's rest. For six months she schemed to prevent
the match, and when it had taken place she turned to another task--the
supervision of her daughter-in-law. Lilia must be pushed through life
without bringing discredit on the family into which she had married. She
was aided by Charles, by her daughter Harriet, and, as soon as he was
old enough, by the clever one of the