bargain. By all these, or by branches of them, she had, no doubt, been
long and still continued to be well attacked; and of these three
divisions Mr. Parker did not hesitate to say that Mr. Hollis's kindred
were the least in favour, and Sir Harry Denham's the most. The former, he
believed, had done themselves irremediable harm by expressions of very
unwise resentment at the time of Mr. Hollis's death: the latter, to the
advantage of being the remnant of a connection which she certainly
valued, joined those of having been known to her from their childhood,
and of being always at hand to pursue their interests by seasonable
attentions. But another claimant was now to be taken into account: a
young female relation whom Lady Denham had been induced to receive into
her family. After having always protested against any such addition, and
often enjoyed the repeated defeat she had given to every attempt of her
own relations to introduce 'this young lady, or that young lady,' as a
companion at Sanditon House, she had brought back with her from London
last Michaelmas a Miss Clara Brereton, who bid fair to vie in favour with
Sir Edward Denham, and to secure for herself and her family that share of
the accumulated property which they had certainly the best right to
inherit.'

Lady Denham's character comes out in a conversation which takes place at
Mr. Parker's tea-table.

'The conversation turned entirely upon Sanditon, its present number of
visitants, and the chances of a good season. It was evident that Lady
Denham had more anxiety, more fears of loss than her coadjutor. She
wanted to have the place fill faster, and seemed to have many harassing
apprehensions of the lodgings being in some instances underlet. To a
report that a large boarding-school was expected she replies, 'Ah, well,
no harm in that. They will stay their six weeks, and out of such a
number who knows but some may be consumptive, and want asses' milk; and I
have two milch asses at this very time. But perhaps the little Misses
may hurt the furniture. I hope they will have a good sharp governess to
look after them.' But she wholly disapproved of Mr. Parker's wish to
secure the residence of a medical man amongst them. 'Why, what should we
do with a doctor here? It would only be encouraging our servants and the
poor to fancy themselves ill, if there was a doctor at hand. Oh, pray
let us have none of that tribe at Sanditon: we go on very well as we are.
T