ey had all gone to
church together on the intermediate Sunday, and Lady Susanna had done
her best to conciliate her sister-in-law. But she was ignorant of the
world, and did not know how bitter to a young married woman is such
interference as that of which she had been guilty. She could not
understand the amount of offence which was rankling in Mary's bosom. It
had not consisted only in the words spoken, but her looks in the man's
presence had conveyed the same accusation, so that it could be seen and
understood by the man himself. Mary, with an effort, had gone on with
her play, determined that no one should suppose her to be cowed by her
grand sister-in-law; but through it all she had resolved always to look
upon Lady Susanna as an enemy. She had already abandoned her threat of
not speaking to her own guest; but nothing that Lady Susanna could say,
nothing that Lord George could say, softened her heart in the least.
The woman had told her that she was a flirt, had declared that what she
did and said was improper. The woman had come there as a spy, and the
woman should never be her friend. In these circumstances Lord George
found it impossible not to refer to the unfortunate subject again, and
in doing so caused the above question to be asked. "Do you mean to say
that you have any objection to my being acquainted with Captain De
Baron?" She looked at him with so much eagerness in her eyes as she
spoke that he knew that much at any rate of his present comfort might
depend on the answer which he made.

He certainly did object to her being acquainted with Jack De Baron. He
did not at all like Jack De Baron. In spite of what he had found
himself obliged to say, in order that she might be comforted on his
first arrival, he did not like slang, and he did not like
fortune-telling cards or bagatelle. His sympathies in these matters
were all with his sister. He did like spending his own time with Mrs.
Houghton, but it was dreadful to him to think that his wife should be
spending hers with Jack De Baron. Nevertheless he could not tell her
so. "No," he said, "I have no particular objection."

"Of course if you had, I would never see him again. But it would be
very dreadful. He would have to be told that you were--jealous."

"I am not in the least jealous," said he, angrily. "You should not use
such a word."

"Certainly I should not have used it, but for the disturbance which
your sister has caused. But after all that she has