is disappointment. There had been a moment in which the same idea
had suggested itself to her; but now since her friendship with Jack had
been strengthened by his conduct in the deanery garden she thought that
he might do better with himself than be made by Mrs. Jones to marry
Guss Mildmay. Of course she could not interfere, but she hoped that
something might prevent Jack De Baron from spending his Christmas at
Curry Hall. She answered Mrs. Jones' letter very prettily. She trusted
that Lord Giblet might be happy with his wife, even though his father
should get well of the gout. She was very sorry to hear that Lord
Brotherton was ill. Nothing was known about him at Manor Cross, except
that he seemed to be very ill-natured to everybody. She was surprised
that anybody should be so ill-natured as he was. If ever she should
live to fill a high position she hoped she would be good-natured. She
knew that the people she would like best would be those who had been
kind to her, and nobody had been so kind as a certain lady named Mrs.
Montacute Jones. Then she spoke of her coming trial. "Don't joke with
me about it any more, there's a dear woman. They all flutter me here,
talking of it always, though they mean to be kind. But it seems to me
so serious. I wish that nobody would speak to me of it except George,
and he seems to think nothing about it."

Then she came to the paragraph the necessity for writing which had made
her answer Mrs. Jones' letter so speedily. "I don't think you ought to
persuade anybody to marry anyone. It didn't much signify, perhaps, with
Lord Giblet, as he isn't clever, and I daresay that Miss Green will
suit him very well; but as a rule I think gentlemen should choose for
themselves. In the case you speak of I don't think he cares for her,
and then they would be unhappy." She would not for worlds have
mentioned Captain De Baron's name; but she thought that Mrs. Jones
would understand her.

Of course Mrs. Jones understood her,--had understood more than Mary had
intended her to understand. Christmas was over and Mary was up in town
when she received Mrs. Jones' rejoinder, but it may as well be given
here. "The child who wanted the top brick is here, and I think will
content himself with a very much less exalted morsel of the building. I
am older than you, my dear, and know better. Our friend is a very good
fellow in his way, but there is no reason why he should not bend his
neck as well as another. To you n