“Oh, but think how much better it sounded!” Julia said, with twinkling eyes.

Mr. Ponsonby did not see the twinkle; he read Julia a lecture on selfishness and ended up by saying, “You are utterly selfish and ingrain lazy, that’s what you are; you don’t want to do a stroke of honest work for any one.”

“Dishonest work is where I shine,” Julia told him.  “Oh, not scoundrelly dishonesty, company promoting, and so on,” (Mr. Ponsonby was on several boards of directors, but he was not a company promoter, still he snorted a little) “I mean real dishonest work; with a little practice I would make such a thief as you do not meet every day in the week.”

“I can quite believe it,” her uncle retorted grimly; “lazy people generally do take to lying and stealing and, as I say, lazy is what you are.  Sooner than work for your living, you go and pig in a cottage, because you think that way you can do nothing all day; lead an idle life.”

“Yes,” Julia agreed sweetly; “I think that must be my reason—­a nice comfortable idle life with the pigs and poultry, and garden, and cooking, and scrubbing, and two incompetent old men.  I really think you must be right.”

Here it must be recorded, Mr. Ponsonby very nearly lost his temper, and not without justification.  Was he not giving time and consideration and (probably) money to help this hopeless family on to its legs again?  And was it not more than mortal middle-aged man could bear, not only to be opposed by the only member with any means, but also to be made sly fun of by her?  He gave Julia his opinion very sharply, and no doubt she deserved it.  But the worst of it was that did not prevent her from exercising the right of the person who is not a beggar to choose.

The Polkington family, who were soon afterwards called in to assist at the discussion, sided with Mr. Ponsonby.  Violet and Mrs. Polkington with great decision, the Captain more weakly.  Eventually he was won over to Julia because her scheme seemed to hold a place for him where he could flatter himself he was wanted.  The argument went on and angrily, on the part of some present; Julia was most amiable; but, as the Van Heigens had found, she was an extremely awkward antagonist, the more amiable, the more awkward, even in a weak position, as with them, and in a strong one, as now, she was a great deal worse.  Mr. Ponsonby lost the train he meant to catch back to London; he did not do it only for the benefit of his sister, but also because Julia had given battle and he was not going to retire from the field.  Violet and Mr. Frazer deliberately postponed the hour of their departure; Violet was determined not to leave things in this condition; Julia’s plan, she considered a disgrace to the whole family.  Mr. Frazer was asked not to come to the family council; Violet explained to him that they were having trouble with Julia; she would tell him all about it afterwards, but it distressed her mother so much that it would perhaps be kinder if he was not there at the time.  Mr. Frazer quite agreed; he shared some of his wife’s sentiments about appearances; also he had no wish to be distressed either in mind or tastes.