d troubles of the Harper family.

'Oh Jass,' she concluded, 'if we could help them somehow. I am so glad
mamma has met that aunt of theirs--_isn't_ it lucky? Perhaps she'll be
able now to manage something without vexing Captain and Mrs Harper.'

Jacinth lifted her head and looked at Frances. She was paler than usual.

'I really do think you must be a sort of an idiot,' she said.
'Otherwise, I should be forced to believe you had no real family
affection at all. Surely the Harpers might teach you to have _that_,
however much mischief they have made in other ways.'

Frances stared at her, dumb with perplexity.

'What _do_ you mean, Jacinth?' she said at last.

Jacinth for once lost her self-control.

'Do you not care for your own father and mother to get anything good?'
she said. 'Papa's life has been hard enough--so has ours--separated
almost ever since we can remember from our parents. And it is all a
question of money, to put it plainly, though it is horrid of you to
force me to say it. Do you think papa, who is far from a young man now,
stays out in that climate for pleasure--wearing himself out to be sure
of his pension? And if Lady Myrtle chooses to treat _us_ as her
relations--mamma, the daughter of her dearest friend--instead of the son
of that bad, wretched brother of hers--why shouldn't she? And you would
ruin everything by silly interference in behalf of people we have
nothing to do with: very likely you'd do no good to _them_, and only
offend her for ever with us. Do you understand _now_ what I mean?'

Frances was trembling, but she would not cry.

'Mamma does not see it that way,' she said. 'She is pleased and
delighted at Lady Myrtle being so kind, but she _does_ care about the
Harpers too. Read what she says,' and Frances hurriedly unfolded the
letter again till she found the passage she wanted.

This was what Mrs Mildmay said, after expressing her sympathy with all
Frances had told her, and advising her now to tell the whole to Jacinth.
'I remember vaguely about the Harper family in the old days,' she wrote.
'I know that Lady Myrtle's two brothers caused her much trouble,
especially the younger, really embittering her life. But for many years
I have heard nothing of her or any of the family till just now, for a
curious coincidence has happened. A few days before I got your long
letter, enclosing Miss Harper's, and dear Jacinth's too, telling of her
invitation to Robin Redbreast, I had met a Mrs Ly