de up her mind that she would request him to revoke
the order.

Then she was very much troubled by a long letter from the Baroness
Banmann. The Baroness was going to bring an action jointly against Lady
Selina Protest and Miss Mildmay, whom the reader will know as Aunt Ju;
and informed Lady George that she was to be summoned as a witness.
This was for a while a grievous affliction to her. "I know nothing
about it," she said to her husband, "I only just went there once
because Miss Mildmay asked me."

"It was a very foolish thing for her to do."

"And I was foolish, perhaps; but what can I say about it? I don't know
anything."

"You shouldn't have bought those other tickets."

"How could I refuse when the woman asked for such a trifle?"

"Then you took her to Miss Mildmay's."

"She would get into the brougham, and I couldn't get rid of her. Hadn't
I better write and tell her that I know nothing about it?" But to this
Lord George objected, requesting her altogether to hold her peace on
the subject, and never even to speak about it to anyone. He was not
good humoured with her, and this was clearly no occasion for asking him
about the waltzing. Indeed, just at present he rarely was in a good
humour, being much troubled in his mind on the great Popenjoy question.

At this time the Dean was constantly up in town, running backwards and
forwards between London and Brotherton, prosecuting his enquiry and
spending a good deal of his time at Mr. Battle's offices. In doing all
this he by no means acted in perfect concert with Lord George, nor did
he often stay or even dine at the house in Munster Court. There had
been no quarrel, but he found that Lord George was not cordial with
him, and therefore placed himself at the hotel in Suffolk Street. "Why
doesn't papa come here as he is in town?" Mary said to her husband.

"I don't know why he comes to town at all," replied her husband.

"I suppose he comes because he has business, or because he likes it. I
shouldn't think of asking why he comes; but as he is here, I wish he
wouldn't stay at a nasty dull hotel after all that was arranged."

"You may be sure he knows what he likes best," said Lord George
sulkily. That allusion to "an arrangement" had not served to put him in
a good humour.

Mary had known well why her father was so much in London, and had in
truth known also why he did not come to Munster Court. She could
perceive that her father and husband were drifting in