he
Dean.

CHAPTER XLVI.

LADY SARAH'S MISSION.

Towards the end of June the family at Cross Hall were in great
perturbation. In the first place it had been now settled that they were
to go back to the great house early in July. This might have been a
source of unalloyed gratification. The old Marchioness had been made
very unhappy by the change to Cross Hall, and had persisted in calling
her new home a wretched farmhouse. Both Lady Susanna and Lady Amelia
were quite alive to the advantages of the great mansion. Lord George
had felt that his position in the county had been very much injured by
recent events. This might partly have come from his residence in
London; but had, no doubt, been chiefly owing to the loss of influence
arising from the late migration. He was glad enough to go back again.
But Lady Sarah was strongly opposed to the new movement. "I don't think
that mamma should be made liable to be turned out again," she had said
to her brother and sisters.

"But mamma is particularly anxious to go," Amelia had replied.

"You can't expect mamma to think correctly about Brotherton," said Lady
Sarah. "He is vicious and fickle, and I do not like to feel that any of
us should be in his power." But Lady Sarah, who had never been on good
terms with her elder brother, was overruled, and everybody knew that in
July the family was to return to Manor Cross.

Then there came tidings from London,--unauthorised tidings, and, one
may say, undignified tidings,--but still tidings which were received
with interest. Mrs. Toff had connections with Scumberg's, and heard
through these connections that things at Scumberg's were not going on
in a happy way. Mrs. Toff's correspondent declared that the Marquis had
hardly been out of his bed since he had been knocked into the
fireplace. Mrs. Toff, who had never loved the Dean and had never
approved of that alliance, perhaps made the most of this. But the
report, which was first made to the Dowager herself, caused very great
uneasiness. The old lady said that she must go up to London herself to
nurse her son. Then a letter was written by Lady Amelia to her brother,
asking for true information. This was the answer which Lady Amelia
received;--

"DEAR A.,--I'm pretty well, thank you. Don't trouble yourselves.
Yours, B."

"I'm sure he's dying," said the Marchioness, "and he's too
noble-hearted to speak of his sufferings." Nevertheless she felt that
she did not dare