t to put too fine a point upon it," said
John, with a smile that was somewhat ghastly--"and she has accepted him.
Congratulations are understood, but here there arises a hitch."

"There arises no hitch. Mamma is dissatisfied (which mamma generally is)
chiefly because she does not know Mr. Compton; and some wretched old
woman, who doesn't know him either, has written to her--to her and also
to me--telling us a pack of lies," said Elinor, indignantly, "to which I
do not give the least credence for a moment--not for a moment!"

"That's all very well for you," said John, "it's quite simple; but for
us, Elinor--that is, for your mother and me, as you are good enough to
allow me to have a say in the matter--it's not so simple. We feel, you
know, that, like Caesar's wife, our Elinor's--husband"--he could not help
making a grimace as he said that word, but no one saw or suspected
it--"should be above suspicion."

"That is exactly what I feel, John."

"Well, we must do something about it, don't you see? Probably it will be
as easy as possible for him to clear himself." (The dis-Honourable Phil!
Good heavens! to think it was a man branded with such a name that was to
marry Elinor! For a moment he was silenced by the thought, as if some
one had given him a blow.)

"To clear himself!" said Elinor. "And do you think I will permit him to
be asked to clear himself? Do you think I will allow him to believe for
a moment that _I_ believed anything against him? Do you think I will
take the word of a spiteful old woman?"

"Old women are not always spiteful, and they are sometimes right."
John put out his hand to prevent Mrs. Dennistoun from speaking, which,
indeed, she had no intention of doing. "I don't mean so, of course, in
Mr. Compton's case--and I don't know what has been said."

"Things that are very uncomfortable--very inconsistent with a happy life
and a comfortable establishment," said Mrs. Dennistoun.

"Oh, if you could only hear yourself, mamma! You are not generally a
Philistine, I must say that for you; but if you only heard the tone
in which you said 'comfortable establishment!' the most conventional
match-making in existence could not have done it better; and as for
what has been said, there has nothing been said but what is said about
everybody--what, probably, would be said of you yourself, John, for you
play whist sometimes, I hear, and often billiards, at the club."

A half-audible "God forbid!" had come from Jo