rself she
wanted nothing,--but was it not the duty of her whole life to fight
for her daughters? Poor woman! If somebody would only have taught her
how that duty might best be done, she would have endeavoured to obey
the teaching. "You know I do not want to threaten you," she said to
Mr. Gibson; "but you see what my brother says. Of course I wrote to
my brother. What could a poor woman do in such circumstances except
write to her brother?"

"If you choose to set the bloodhounds of the law at me, of course you
can," said Mr. Gibson.

"I do not want to go to law at all;--God knows I do not!" said Mrs.
French. Then there was a pause. "Poor dear Bella!" ejaculated Mrs.
French.

"Dear Bella!" echoed Mr. Gibson.

"What do you mean to do about Bella?" asked Mrs. French.

"I sometimes think that I had better take poison and have done with
it!" said Mr. Gibson, feeling himself to be very hard pressed.

CHAPTER LXXXIII.

BELLA VICTRIX.

Mr. Crump arrived at Exeter. Camilla was not told of his coming till
the morning of the day on which he arrived; and then the tidings were
communicated, because it was necessary that a change should be made
in the bed-rooms. She and her sister had separate rooms when there
was no visitor with them, but now Mr. Crump must be accommodated.
There was a long consultation between Bella and Mrs. French, but at
last it was decided that Bella should sleep with her mother. There
would still be too much of the lioness about Camilla to allow of her
being regarded as a safe companion through the watches of the night.
"Why is Uncle Jonas coming now?" she asked.

"I thought it better to ask him," said Mrs. French.

After a long pause, Camilla asked another question. "Does Uncle Jonas
mean to see Mr. Gibson?"

"I suppose he will," said Mrs. French.

"Then he will see a low, mean fellow;--the lowest, meanest fellow
that ever was heard of! But that won't make much difference to Uncle
Jonas. I wouldn't have him now, if he was to ask me ever so;--that I
wouldn't!"

Mr. Crump came, and kissed his sister and two nieces. The embrace
with Camilla was not very affectionate. "So your Joe has been and
jilted you?" said Uncle Jonas;--"it's like one of them clergymen.
They say so many prayers, they think they may do almost anything
afterwards. Another man would have had his head punched."

"The less talk there is about it the better," said Camilla.

On the following day Mr. Crump called by appoin