‘Now, what a strange thing it is!’ she observed, after many other reflections, and when the sound of her own voice had had time to soothe.  ’On the very morning of the wedding I had the most singular misgiving, a feeling I couldn’t explain.  One would almost think I had foreseen this very thing.  And you know very well, my dear, that the marriage troubled me in many ways.  It was not the match for Adela, but then—.  Adela, as you say, has a strong character; she is not very easy to reason with.  I tried to make both sides of the question clear to her.  But then her prejudice against Mr. Eldon was very strong, and how naturally, poor child!  Young people don’t like to trust to time; they think everything must be done quickly.  If she had been one to marry for reasons of interest it might look like a punishment; but then it was so far otherwise.  How much better it would have been to wait a few years!  One really never knows what is going to happen.  Young people really ought to trust others’ experience.’

Letty was only lending half an ear.  The general character of her mother-in-law’s monologues did not encourage much attention.  She was conscious of a little surprise, even now and then of a mild indignation; but the baby sucking at her breast lulled her into a sweet maternal apathy.  She could only sigh from time to time and wonder whether it was a good thing or the contrary that Adela had no baby in her trials.

CHAPTER XXVI

Mutimer did not come to the Manor for luncheon.  Rodman, who had been spending an hour at the works, brought word that business pressed; a host of things had to be unexpectedly finished off and put in order.  He, Alice, and Adela made pretence of a midday meal; then he went into the library to smoke a cigar and meditate.  The main subject of his meditation was an interview with Adela which he purposed seeking in the course of the afternoon.  But he had also half-a-dozen letters of the first importance to despatch to town by the evening post, and these it was well to get off hand.  He had finished them by half-past three.  Then he went to the drawing-room, but found it vacant.  He sought his wife’s chamber.  Alice was endeavouring to read a novel, but there was recent tear-shedding about her eyes, which had not come of the author’s pathos.

‘You’ll be a pretty picture soon if that goes on,’ Rodman remarked, with a frankness which was sufficiently brutal in spite of his jesting tone.

‘I can’t think how you take it so lightly,’ Alice replied with utter despondency, flinging the book aside.

‘What’s the good of taking it any other way?  Where’s Adela?’

‘Adela?’ She looked at him as closely as her eyes would let her.  ‘Why do you want her?’

’I asked you where she was.  Please to get into the habit of answering my questions at once.  It’ll save time in future.’

She seemed about to resent his harshness, but the effort cost her too much.  She let her head fall forward almost upon her knees and sobbed unrestrainedly.