he would ride a steeplechase, not being
quite sober at the time, and broke his neck. Lady Haughton has been, of
course, in great grief. She has retired to Brighton; and she wrote to me
from thence, and Mr. Vigors brought the letter. He will go back to her
to-day."

"Will go back to Lady Haughton? What! Has he been to her? Is he, then,
as intimate with Lady Haughton as he was with her brother?"

"No; but there has been a long and constant correspondence. She had a
settlement on the Kirby Estate,--a sum which was not paid off during
Gilbert's life; and a very small part of the property went to Sir James,
which part Mr. Ashleigh Sumner, the heir-at-law to the rest of the
estate, wished Mr. Vigors, as his guardian, to buy during his minority,
and as it was mixed up with Lady Haughton's settlement her consent was
necessary as well as Sir James's. So there was much negotiation, and,
since then, Ashleigh Sumner has come into the Haughton property, on poor
Sir James's decease; so that complicated all affairs between Mr. Vigors
and Lady Haughton, and he has just been to Brighton to see her. And
poor Lady Haughton, in short, wants me and Lilian to go and visit her.
I don't like it at all. But you said the other day you thought sea air
might be good for Lilian during the heat of the summer, and she seems
well enough now for the change. What do you think?"

"She is well enough, certainly. But Brighton is not the place I would
recommend for the summer; it wants shade, and is much hotter than L----"

"Yes; but unluckily Lady Haughton foresaw that objection, and she has a
jointure-house some miles from Brighton, and near the sea. She says the
grounds are well wooded, and the place is proverbially cool and healthy,
not far from St. Leonard's Forest. And, in short, I have written to say
we will come. So we must, unless, indeed, you positively forbid it."

"When do you think of going?"

"Next Monday. Mr. Vigors would make me fix the day. If you knew how I
dislike moving when I am once settled; and I do so dread Lady Haughton,
she is so fine, and so satirical! But Mr. Vigors says she is very much
altered, poor thing! I should like to show you her letter, but I bad
just sent it to Margaret--Mrs. Poyntz--a minute or two before you came.
She knows something of Lady Haughton. Margaret knows everybody. And we
shall have to go in mourning for poor Sir James, I suppose; and Margaret
will choose it, for I am sure I can't guess to what exten