Marian's future children
were already a subject of care to her. Such being her disposition, it
was by no means matter of joy to her when she found that Madeline was
laying out for herself little ways of life, tending in some slight
degree to the monastic. Nothing was said about it, but she fancied
that Madeline had doffed a ribbon or two in her usual evening attire.
That she read during certain fixed hours in the morning was very
manifest. As to that daily afternoon service at four o'clock--she had
very often attended that, and it was hardly worthy of remark that
she now went to it every day. But there seemed at this time to be a
monotonous regularity about her visits to the poor, which told to
Lady Staveley's mind--she hardly knew what tale. She herself visited
the poor, seeing some of them almost daily. If it was foul weather
they came to her, and if it was fair weather she went to them. But
Madeline, without saying a word to any one, had adopted a plan of
going out exactly at the same hour with exactly the same object, in
all sorts of weather. All this made Lady Staveley uneasy; and then,
by way of counterpoise, she talked of balls, and offered Madeline
_carte blanche_ as to a new dress for that special one which would
grace the assizes. "I don't think I shall go," said Madeline; and
thus Lady Staveley became really unhappy. Would not Felix Graham
be better than no son-in-law? When some one had once very strongly
praised Florence Nightingale in Lady Staveley's presence, she had
stoutly declared her opinion that it was a young woman's duty to get
married. For myself, I am inclined to agree with her. Then came the
second Friday after Graham's departure, and Lady Staveley observed,
as she and her daughter sat at dinner alone, that Madeline would eat
nothing but potatoes and sea-kale. "My dear, you will be ill if you
don't eat some meat."

"Oh no, I shall not," said Madeline with her prettiest smile.

"But you always used to like minced veal."

"So I do, but I won't have any to-day, mamma, thank you."

Then Lady Staveley resolved that she would tell the judge that Felix
Graham, bad as he might be, might come there if he pleased. Even
Felix Graham would be better than no son-in-law at all.

On the following day, the Saturday, the judge came down with
Augustus, to spend his last Sunday at home before the beginning of
his circuit, and some little conversation respecting Felix Graham did
take place between him and his