in her mother’s present state, Alexis must drink of his own brewst, and Sir Jasper and Lady Merrifield were past Brindisi!  As to Mr. White, he seemed to be immersed in business, and made no sign of relenting; Jane had made one or two attempts to see him, but had not succeeded.  Only one of her G.F.S. maidens, who was an enthusiastic admirer of Kalliope, and in perfect despair at her absence, mentioned that Mr. White had looked over all their work and had been immensely struck with Miss White’s designs, and especially with the table inlaid with autumn leaves, which had been set aside as expensive, unprofitable, and not according to the public taste, and not shown to him on his first visit to the works with Mr. Stebbing.  There were rumours in the air that he was not contented with the state of things, and might remain for some time to set them on a different footing.

Miss Adeline had been driving with Lady Rotherwood, and on coming in with her for the afternoon cup of tea, found Mr. White conversing with Lord Rotherwood, evidently just finishing the subject—–­a reading-room or institute of some sort for the men at the works.

‘All these things are since my time,’ said Mr. White.  ’We were left pretty much to ourselves in those days.’

’And what do you think?  Should you have been much the better for them?’ asked the Marquis.

‘Some of us would,’ was the answer.

‘You would not have thought them a bore!’

’There were some who would, as plenty will now; but we were a rough set—–­we had not so much to start with as the lads, willy nilly, have now.  But I should have been glad of books, and diversion free from lawlessness might have prevented poor Dick’s scrapes.  By the bye, that daughter of his can do good work.’

‘Poor thing,’ said Miss Adeline, ’she is a very good girl, and in great trouble.  I was much pleased with her, and I think, she has behaved remarkably well under very trying circumstances.’

’I observed that the young women in the mosaic department seemed to be much attached to her,’ said Mr. White.

‘My sister thinks she has been an excellent influence there.’

‘She was not there,’ said Mr. White.

’No; her mother is too ill to be left—–­dying, I should think, from what I hear.’

‘From the shock of that foolish lad’s evasion?’ asked Lord Rotherwood.

’She was very ill before, I believe, though that brought it to a crisis.  No one would believe how much that poor girl has had depending on her.  I wish she had been at the works—–­I am sure you would have been struck with her.’

‘Have you any reason to think they are in any distress, Miss Mohun?’

’Not actually at present; but I do not know what they are to do in future, with the loss of the salaries those two have had,’ said Adeline, exceedingly anxious to say neither too much nor too little.

‘There is the elder brother.’