The canon turned rather pale.  “There can be no question of censure,” he said.  “Lady Mary is a very charming and beautiful woman.  Who could dare to blame her if she contemplated such a step as—­as a second marriage?”

“A second marriage!  We said nothing of a second marriage,” said Lady Belstone, sharply.  “You go a great deal too fast, canon.  Luckily, our poor Mary is debarred from any such act of folly.  I have no patience with widows who re-marry.”

“Debarred from a second marriage!”

“Is it possible you don’t know?”

The sisters exchanged meaning glances.

He looked from one to the other in bewilderment.

“If our sister-in-law remarries,” said Miss Crewys, “she forfeits the whole of her jointure.”

“Is that all?” he cried.

“Is that all!” echoed Miss Crewys, much offended.  “It is no less than two thousand a year.  In my opinion, far too heavy a charge on poor Peter’s estate.”

“No man with any self-respect,” said Lady Belstone, “would desire to marry a widow without a jointure.  I should have formed a low opinion, indeed, of any gentleman who asked me to marry him without first making sure that the admiral had provided for me as he ought, and as he has.”

The canon, though mentally echoing the sentiment with much warmth, thought it wiser to change the topic of conversation.  Experience had taught him to discredit most of the assumptions of Lady Mary’s sisters-in-law, where she was concerned, and he rose in hope of effecting his escape without further ado.

“I believe I am to meet Mr. Crewys at luncheon,” he said, “and with your permission I will stroll out into the grounds, and look him up.  He told me where he was to be found.”

“He is to be found all over the place.  He seizes every opportunity of coming down here.  I cannot believe in his making so much money in London, when he manages to get away so often.  As for Mary, you know her way of inviting people to lunch, and then going out for a walk, or up to her room, as likely as not.  But I suppose she will be down directly, if you like to wait here,” said Lady Belstone, who had plenty more to say.

“I should be glad of a turn before luncheon,” said the canon, who had no mind to hear it.  “And there is an hour and a half yet.  You lunch at two?  I came straight from the school-house, as Lady Mary suggested.  I wanted to have a look at the improvements.”

“Sarah Hewel is coming to lunch,” said Miss Crewys.  “I cannot say we approve of her, since she has been out so much in London, and become such a notorious young person.”

“It’s very odd to me,” said the canon, benevolently, “little Sarah growing up into a fashionable beauty.  I often see her name in the papers.”

“She is exactly the kind of person to attract our cousin John, who is quite foolish about her red hair.  In my young days, red hair was just a misfortune like any other,” said Miss Crewys.  “Dr. Blundell is lunching here also, I need hardly say.  Since my dear brother’s death we keep open house.”