her private thought. For she could not picture John
stooping to guide and instruct.

But she had been touched on a tender spot--that of ambitious pride for
those related to her--and she made what Mahony called "a real Turnham
attempt" to stand up to John. Against her husband's express advice.

"For if your brother chooses to contract a mesalliance of this kind,
it's nobody's business but his own. Upon my word though, Polly, if you
don't take care, this house will get a bad name over the matches that
are made in it. You had better have your spare room boarded up, my
dear."

Mahony was feeling particularly rasped by John's hoity-toity behaviour
in this connection. Having been nursed back to health, John went about
with his chin in the air, and hardly condescended to allude to his
engagement--let alone talk it over with his relatives. So Mahony
retired into himself--after all, the world of John's mind was so
dissimilar to his own that he did not even care to know what went on in
it. "The fellow has been caught on the hop by a buxom form and a
languishing eye," was how he dismissed the matter in thought.

"I raise my wife to my own station, Mary. And you will greatly oblige
me by showing Jane every possible attention," was the only satisfaction
Polly could get from John, made in his driest tone.

Before the engagement was a week old Tilly reappeared--she was to be
married from their house on the hither side of Christmas. At first she
was too full of herself and her own affairs to let either Polly or
Jinny get a word in. Just to think of it! That old cabbage-grower,
Devine, had gone and bought the block of land next the one Mr. O. was
building on. She'd lay a bet he would put up a house the dead spit of
theirs. Did ever anyone hear such cheek?

At the news that was broken to her, the first time she paused for
breath, she let herself heavily down on a chair.

"Well, I'm blowed!" was all she could ejaculate. "Blowed!... that's
what I am."

But afterwards, when Jinny had left the room, she gave free play to a
very real envy and regret. "In all my life I never did! Jinn to be Mrs.
John! ... and, as like as not, the Honourable Mrs. John before she's
done. Oh, Polly, my dear, why EVER didn't I wait!"

On being presented to John, however, she became more reconciled to her
lot. "'E's got a temper, your brother has, or I'm very much mistaken.
It won't be all beer and skittles for 'er ladyship. For Jinn hasn't a
scrap of sp