Mrs. Rowan felt that her only chance
of carrying on the battle would be by means of a treaty with Mrs.
Tappitt. Had the affair of the brewery stood alone, Mrs. Rowan would
have ranged herself loyally on the side of her son. She would have
resented the uplifting of that poker, and shown her resentment by an
immediate withdrawal from the brewery. She would have said a word or
two,--a stately word or two,--as to the justice of her son's cause,
and have carried herself and her daughter off to the inn. As things
were now, her visit to the brewery must no doubt be curtailed in its
duration; but in the mean time might not a blow be struck against
that foolish matrimonial project,--an opportune blow, and by the aid
of Mrs. Tappitt? Therefore on that Friday morning, when Mr. Prong
was listening with enraptured ears to Mrs. Prime's acceptance of
his suit,--under certain pecuniary conditions,--Mrs. Rowan and Mrs.
Tappitt were sitting in conference at the brewery.

They agreed together at that meeting that Rachel Ray was the head and
front of the whole offence, the source of all the evil done and to
be done, and the one great sinner in the matter. It was clear to Mrs.
Rowan that Rachel could have no just pretensions to look for such a
lover or such a husband as her son; and it was equally clear to Mrs.
Tappitt that she could have had no right to seek a lover or a husband
out of the brewery. If Rachel Ray had not been there all might have
gone smoothly for both of them. Mrs. Tappitt did not, perhaps, argue
very logically as to the brewery business, or attempt to show either
to herself or to her ally that Luke Rowan would have made himself an
agreeable partner if he had kept himself free from all love vagaries;
but she was filled with an indefinite woman's idea that the mischief,
which she felt, had been done by Rachel Ray, and that against Rachel
and Rachel's pretensions her hand should be turned.

They resolved therefore that they would go out together and call at
the cottage. Mrs. Tappitt knew, from long neighbourhood, of what
stuff Mrs. Ray was made. "A very good sort of woman," she said
to Mrs. Rowan, "and not at all headstrong and perverse like her
daughter. If we find the young lady there we must ask her mamma to
see us alone." To this proposition Mrs. Rowan assented, not eagerly,
but with a slow, measured, dignified assent, feeling that she was
derogating somewhat from her own position in allowing herself to
be led by such