for nothing, if I were you, uncle," said
Lily.

"No, my dear; if you were me you would not. I should be very wrong to
do so. Why should Mrs Hearn have her house for nothing, any more than
her meat or her clothes? It would be much more reasonable were I to
give her so much money into her hand yearly; but it would be wrong
in me to do so, seeing that she is not an object of charity;--and it
would be wrong in her to take it."

"And she wouldn't take it," said Mrs Dale.

"I don't think she would. But if she did, I'm sure she would grumble
because it wasn't double the amount. And if Mr Boyce had gone home
with her, she would have grumbled because he walked too fast."

"She is very old," said Bell, again.

"But, nevertheless, she ought to know better than to speak
disparagingly of me to my servants. She should have more respect for
herself." And the squire showed by the tone of his voice that he
thought very much about it.

It was very long and very dull that Christmas evening, making
Bernard feel strongly that he would be very foolish to give up his
profession, and tie himself down to a life at Allington. Women are
more accustomed than men to long, dull, unemployed hours; and,
therefore, Mrs Dale and her daughters bore the tedium courageously.
While he yawned, stretched himself, and went in and out of the room,
they sat demurely, listening as the squire laid down the law on small
matters, and contradicting him occasionally when the spirit of either
of them prompted her specially to do so. "Of course you know much
better than I do," he would say. "Not at all," Mrs Dale would answer.
"I don't pretend to know anything about it. But--" So the evening
wore itself away; and when the squire was left alone at half-past
nine, he did not feel that the day had passed badly with him. That
was his style of life, and he expected no more from it than he got.
He did not look to find things very pleasant, and, if not happy, he
was, at any rate, contented.

"Only think of Johnny Eames being at Guestwick Manor!" said Bell, as
they were going home.

"I don't see why he shouldn't be there," said Lily. "I would rather
it should be he than I, because Lady Julia is so grumpy."

"But asking your Uncle Christopher especially to meet him!" said Mrs
Dale. "There must be some reason for it." Then Lily felt the soreness
come upon her again, and spoke no further upon the subject.

We all know that there was a special reason, and that Lily's s