Lady Rotherwood, like most great ladies in public life, was perfectly well accustomed to have all sorts of people brought home to dinner, and would have been far less astonished than her cousins at sitting down with her grocer; but she gave the signal rather early, and on reaching the sitting-room, where Miss Elworthy was awaiting them, said—–­

’We will leave them to discuss their water-works at their ease.  Certainly residence abroad is an excellent education.’

‘A very superior man,’ said Adeline.

‘Those self-made men always are.’

’In the nature of things, added Miss Mohun, ’or they would not have mounted.’

‘It is the appendages that are distressing,’ said Lady Rotherwood, ‘and they seldom come in one’s way.  Has this man left any in Italy?’

’Oh no, none alive.  He took his wife there for her health, and that was the way he came to set up his Italian quarries; but she and his child both died there long ago, and he has never come back to this place since,’ explained Ada.

‘But he has relations here,’ said Jane.  ’His cousin was an officer in Jasper Merrifield’s regiment.’

She hoped to have been saying a word in the cause of the young people, but she regretted her attempt, for Lady Rotherwood replied—–­

‘I have heard of them.  A very undeserving family, are they not?’

Gillian, whom Miss Elworthy was trying to entertain, heard, and could not help colouring all over, face, neck, and ears, all the more for so much hating the flush and feeling it observed.

Miss Mohun’s was a very decided, ’I should have said quite the reverse.’

’Indeed!  Well, I heard the connection lamented, for his sake, by—–­ what was her name?  Mrs. Stirling—–­or—–­’

‘Mrs. Stebbing,’ said Adeline.  ’You don’t mean that she has actually called on you?’

‘Is there any objection to her?’ asked Lady Rotherwood, with a glance to see whether the girl was listening.

’Oh no, no! only he is a mere mason—–­or quarryman, who has grown rich,’ said Adeline.

The hostess gave a little dry laugh.

’Is that all?  I thought you had some reason for disapproving of her.  I thought her rather sensible and pleasing’

Cringing and flattering, thought Jane; and that is just what these magnificent ladies like in the wide field of inferiors.  But aloud she could not help saying, ’My principal objection to Mrs. Stebbing is that I have always thought her rather a gossip—–­on the scandalous side.’  Then, bethinking herself that it would not be well to pursue the subject in Gillian’s presence, she explained where the Stebbings lived, and asked how long Lord Rotherwood could stay.

’Only over Sunday.  He is going to look over the place to-morrow, and next day there is to be a public meeting about it.  I am not sure that we shall not go with him.  I do not think the place agrees with Phyllis.’