‘Excepting once walking Maura home,’ said Jane, ’no; but I ascribe all that to the partner, Mr. Stebbing, who has had it all his own way here, and seems to me to have systematically kept Alexis down to unnecessarily distasteful drudgery.  Kalliope’s talent gave her a place; but young Stebbing’s pursuit of her, though entirely unrequited, has roused his mother’s bitter enmity, and there are all manner of stories afloat.  I believe I could disprove every one of them; but together they have set Mr. White against her, and he cannot see her in her office, as her mother is too ill to be left.  I do believe that if the case against Alexis is discharged, they will think she has the money.’

‘Stebbing said Maura changed a five-pound note,’ put in Fergus; ’and when I told him to shut up, for it was all bosh, he punched me.’

I hope Richard sent it’ said Ada, ’but you see the sort of report that is continually before Mr. White—–­not that I think he believes half, or is satisfied—­with the Stebbings.’

‘I am sure he is not with Frank Stebbing,’ said Jane.  ’I do think and hope that he is only holding off in order to judge; and I think your coming may have a great effect upon him, Jasper.’

The Rotherwoods had requested Sir Jasper to use their apartments at the hotel, and he went thither to dress, being received, as he said, by little Lady Phyllis with much grace and simplicity.

The evening passed brightly, and when the children were gone to bed, their father said rather anxiously that he feared the aunts had had a troublesome charge hastily thrust on them.

‘We enjoyed it very much,’ said Adeline politely.

‘We were thankful to have a chance of knowing the young people,’ added Jane.  ’I am only glad you did not come home at Christmas, when I was not happy about the two girls.’

’Yes, Valetta got into trouble and wrote a piteous little letter of confession about copying.’

’Yes, but you need not be uneasy about that; it was one of those lapses that teach women without any serious loss.  She did not know what she was about, and she told no falsehoods; indeed, each one of your children has been perfectly truthful throughout.’

’That is the great point, after all.  Lilias could hardly fail to make her children true.’

’Fergus is really an excellent little boy, and Gillian—–­poor Gillian-—­I think she really did want more experience, and was only too innocent.’

‘That is what you really think,’ said the father anxiously.

‘Yes, I do,’ said Jane.  ’If she had been a fast girl, she would have been on her guard against the awkward situation, and have kept out of this mess; but very likely would have run into a worse one.’

‘I do not think that her elder sisters would have done like her.’

’Perhaps not; but they were living in your regimental world at the age when her schoolroom life was going on.  I think you have every reason to be satisfied with her tone of mind.  As you said of the boy, a person may commit an imprudence without being imprudent.’