. It would be very dull, of course, she said; but any place
would be dull now that she, Caroline, was gone. And it would be sad
giving up her old friends. She named one or two, and among them Sir
Lionel. "It would be a great pleasure to me," she went on to say, "if
I could be the means of reconciling the two brothers--not but what
Sir Henry Harcourt will always be Mr. Bertram's favourite; I am
sure of that. I don't think I shall mind leaving Miss Todd, though
she does pretend to be so friendly; I was never quite sure she was
sincere; and then she does talk so very loud; and, in spite of all
she says, I am not sure she's not looking out for a husband."

And then she went back to Littlebath, intent on enjoying her short
reprieve. Something might happen; she did not ask herself what.
The old gentleman might not last long; but she certainly did not
speculate on his death. Or;--she had a sort of an idea that there
might be an "or," though she never allowed herself to dwell on it
as a reality. But on one point she did make up her mind, that if
it should be her destiny to keep house for either of those two
gentlemen, she would much rather keep house for Sir Lionel than for
his brother.

Her absolute money-dealings had always been with Mr. Pritchett; and
as she passed through town, Mr. Pritchett came to her and made her
the usual quarterly payment.

"But, Mr. Pritchett," said she, "I am going to live with Mr. Bertram
after another month or so."

"Oh, ma'am; yes, ma'am; that will be very proper, ma'am. I always
supposed it would be so when Miss Caroline was gone," said Pritchett,
in a melancholy tone.

"But will it be proper for me to have this money now?"

"Oh, yes, ma'am. It wouldn't be my duty to stop any payments till I
get orders. Mr. Bertram never forgets anything, ma'am. If he'd meant
me to stop it, he wouldn't have forgot to say so."

"Oh, very well, Mr. Pritchett;" and Miss Baker was going away.

"But, one word, if you please, ma'am. I don't detain you, ma'am, do
I?" and you might have guessed by Pritchett's voice that he was quite
willing to let her go if she wished, even though his own death on the
spot might be the instant result.

"Oh dear, no, Mr. Pritchett," said Miss Baker.

"We all see how things have gone, ma'am, now;--about Miss Caroline, I
mean."

"Yes, she is Lady Harcourt now."

"Oh, yes, I know that, ma'am," and Mr. Pritchett here sank to the
lowest bathos of misery. "I know she's Lady Harc