’No, indeed!  I couldn’t agree to that.  Only think what would be said of me by everybody; petting my own child, and neglecting my husband’s!  I couldn’t bear it.’

‘No one need know.’

’In such a tittle-tattle place as Hollingford!  Really, Molly, you are either very stupid or very obstinate, or else you don’t care what hard things may be said about me:  and all for a selfish fancy of your own!  No!  I owe myself the justice of acting in this matter as I please.  Every one shall know I’m not a common stepmother.  Every penny I spend on Cynthia I shall spend on you too; so it’s no use talking any more about it.’

So Molly’s little white dimity bed, her old-fashioned chest of drawers, and her other cherished relics of her mother’s maiden-days, were consigned to the lumber-room; and after a while, when Cynthia and her great French boxes had come home, the old furniture that had filled up the space required for the fresh importation of trunks, disappeared into the lumber-room.

All this time the family at the Towers had been absent; Lady Cumnor had been ordered to Bath for the early part of the winter, and her family were with her there.  On dull rainy days, Mrs. Gibson used to bethink her of missing ‘the Cumnors,’ for so she had taken to calling them since her position had become more independent of theirs.  It marked a distinction between her intimacy in the family, and the reverential manner in which the townspeople were accustomed to speak of ’the earl and the countess.’ both Lady Cumnor and Lady Harriet wrote to their dear Clare from time to time.  The former had generally some commissions that she wished to have executed at the Towers, or in the town; and no one could do them so well as Clare, who was acquainted with all the tastes and ways of the countess.  These commissions were the cause of various bills for flys and cars from the ‘George’ Inn.  Mr. Gibson pointed out this consequence to his wife; but she, in return, bade him remark that a present of game was pretty sure to follow upon the satisfactory execution of Lady Cumnor’s wishes.  Somehow, Mr. Gibson did not quite like this consequence either; but he was silent about it, at any rate.  Lady Harriet’s letters were short and amusing.  She had that sort of regard for her old governess which prompted her to write from time to time, and to feel glad when the half-voluntary task was accomplished.  So there was no real outpouring of confidence, but enough news of the family and gossip of the place she was in, as she thought would make Clare feel that she was not forgotten by her former pupils, intermixed with moderate but sincere expressions of regard.  How those letters were quoted and referred to by Mrs. Gibson in her conversations with the Hollingford ladies!  She had found out their effect at Ashcombe; and it was not less at Hollingford.  But she was rather perplexed at kindly messages to Molly, and at inquiries as to how the Miss Brownings liked the tea she had sent; and Molly had first to explain, and then to narrate at full length, all the occurrences of the afternoon at Ashcombe Manor House, and Lady Harriet’s call upon her at Miss Brownings’.