‘Very comfortable; only Priscilla feels—­’

’Priscilla is a tyrant, mother; and a very stern one.  Just make up your mind to stay here till Christmas.  If I tell you that I can afford it, surely that ought to be enough.’  Then Dorothy entered the room, and Hugh appealed to her.  Dorothy had come to Nuncombe only on the day before, and had not been consulted on the subject.  She had been told that the Clock House was to be abandoned, and had been taken down to inspect the cottage in which old Soames had lived but her opinion had not been asked.  Priscilla had quite made up her mind, and why should she ask an opinion of any one?  But now Dorothy’s opinion was demanded.  ‘It’s what I call the rhodomontade of independence,’ said Hugh.

‘I suppose it is very expensive,’ suggested Dorothy.

‘The house must be paid for,’ said Hugh ’and if I say that I’ve got the money, is not that enough?  A miserable, dirty little place, where you’ll catch your death of lumbago, mother.’

‘Of course it’s not a comfortable house;’ said Mrs Stanbury who, of herself, was not at all indifferent to the comforts of her present residence.

‘And it is very dirty,’ said Dorothy.

’The nastiest place I ever saw in my life.  Come, mother; if I say that I can afford it, ought not that to be enough for you?  If you think you can’t trust me, there’s an end of everything, you now.’  And Hugh, as he thus expressed himself, assumed an air of injured virtue.

Mrs Stanbury had very nearly yielded, when Priscilla came in among them.  It was impossible not to continue the conversation, though Hugh would much have preferred to have forced an assent from his mother before he opened his mouth on the subject to his sister.  ’My mother agrees with me,’ said he abruptly, ’and so does Dolly, that it will be absurd to move away from this house at present.’

‘Mamma!’ exclaimed Priscilla.

‘I don’t think I said that, Hugh,’ murmured Dorothy, softly.

‘I am sure I don’t want anything for myself,’ said Mrs Stanbury.

‘It’s I that want it,’ said Hugh.  ’And I think that I’ve a right to have my wishes respected, so far as that goes.’

‘My dear Hugh,’ said Priscilla, ’the cottage is already taken, and we shall certainly go into it.  I spoke to Mrs Crocket yesterday about a cart for moving the things.  I’m sure mamma agrees with me.  What possible business can people have to live in such a house as this with about twenty-four shillings a week for every thing?  I won’t do it.  And as the thing is settled, it is only making trouble to disturb it.’

‘I suppose, Priscilla,’ said Hugh, ‘you’ll do as your mother chooses?’

‘Mamma chooses to go.  She has told me so already.’

‘You have talked her into it.’

‘We had better go, Hugh,’ said Mrs Stanbury.  ’I’m sure we had better go.’

‘Of course we shall go,’ said Priscilla.  ’Hugh is very kind and very generous, but he is only giving trouble for nothing about this.  Had we not better go down to breakfast?’