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"Business!" she ejaculated sharply "Whose business?"

"I think I may say the business of the whole family"

"Nay, I aoing to talk about it--one way or the other"

"Is not Rawdon Court of some interest to you? It has been the hoood many Mostyn women have been its mistress"

"I never heard of any Mostyn woman ould not have been far happier away from Rawdon Court It was a Calvary to them all There was little Nannie Mostyn, who died with her first baby because Squire Anthony struck her in a drunken passion; and the proud Alethia Mostyn, who suffered twenty years' martyrdom from Squire John; and Sara, who took thirty thousand pounds to Squire Hubert, to fling away at the green table; and Harriet, as made by her husband, Squire Hu with hiht hoirl of twenty ent through agonies for eleven years without aught of love and help, and died alone while he was following a fox; and there was pretty Barbara Mostyn----"

"Co to hear the Rawdons abused, and you forget your own e It was a happy one, I am sure One Rawdon, at least, ood husband ought to treat a wife"

"Not you! You treated Mary very badly"

"Mother, not even from you----"

"I'll say it again The little girl was dying for a year ormoney you never saw it If she said or looked a little complaint, you moved restless-like and told her 'she moped too much' As the end came I spoke to you, and you pooh-poohed all I said She went suddenly, I know, to ed so to see you, that I sent a servant to hurry you home, but she died before you could make up your mind to leave your 'cases' She and I were alone when she whispered her lastone, too"

"Mother! Mother! Why recall that bitter day? I did not think--I swear I did not think----"

"Neveryou that the Rawdons have not been the finest species, and soldiers, and even loom-lords of a very respectable sort; but husbands! Lord help their poor wives! So you see, as a Mostyn woman, I have no special interest in Rawdon Court"