his house. Mr. Joyce and the girls
themselves were also of this opinion, Gertrude
jumping at the prospect of any reconciliation
with "dear old uncle," but avowing
her determination to have nothing more to
do with "that horrid madam;" and it was
on Maud's suggestion, backed by Walter,
that the services of Mr. Gould were
employed for mediatory purposes. This was
just before the election, and Mr. Gould
declared it was utterly impossible for him to
attend to anything that did not relate to
blue and yellow topics; but a little later he
wrote a very kind letter, announcing Mr.
Creswell's illness, and deploring the strict
necessity for keeping from the old
gentleman any subjects of an exciting nature.

The corroboration of this bad news was
brought to the little household in
Chesterfield-street by Mr. Benthall, who, about that
time, ran up to London for a week, and, it is
needless to say, lost very little time in
presenting himself to Miss Gertrude. The
relations between the Helmingham school-
master and Gertrude Creswell were, of
course, perfectly well known to Lady
Caroline through Walter Joyce; who had
explained to her ladyship that the causeless
exclusion of Mr. Benthall from Woolgreaves
had been the means of bringing about the
final domestic catastrophe, and had led
more immediately than anything else to the
departure of the young ladies from their
uncle's house. So that Lady Caroline was
predisposed in the clergyman's favour, and
the predisposition was by no means
decreased when she made his acquaintance,
and found him to be one of the Shropshire
Benthalls, people of excellent family (a
fact which always has immense weight
with other people who can make the same
boast), and essentially a man of the world
and of society. A girl like Gertrude Creswell,
who, charming though she was, was
clearly nobody, might think herself lucky
in getting a man of family to marry her.
Of course Mrs. Creswell could not
understand that kind of thing, and took a mere
pounds-shillings-and-pence view of the
question; but Mrs. Creswell had no real
dominion over her husband's nieces, and as
that husband was now too ill to be appealed
to, and the girls were staying under her
chaperonage, she should, in the exercise of
her discretion, give Mr. Benthall full
opportunity for seeing as much of Gertrude as
he chose.

Lady Caroline did not come to this
determination without consulting Walter
Joyce, and Walter did not express his
opinion without consulting Maud Creswell,
of whose clear head and calm common
sense he had conceived a high opinion.
The joint decision being favourable, Mr.
Benthall had a very happy holiday in
London, finding, if such a thing were
possible, his regard for Gertrude increased
by the scarcely hidden admiration which
the bright complexion, pretty hair, and trim
figure of the country-girl evoked from the
passers-by in the public places to which
he escorted her. Indeed, so completely
changed by an honest passion for an honest
girl, was this, at one time, selfish and
calculating man of the world, that he was
most anxious to marry Gertrude at once,
without any question of settlement or
reference to her uncle; declaring that,
however Mrs. Creswell might now choose to
sneer at it, the school income had maintained
a gentleman and his wife before, and could
be made to do so again. Mr. Benthall
spoke with such earnestness that Joyce
conceived a much higher opinion of him
than he had hitherto entertained, and
would have counselled Lady Caroline to
lend her aid to the accomplishment of the
schoolmaster's wish, had it not been for
Maud, who pointed out that in such a case
a reference was undoubtedly due to their
uncle, no matter what might be his
supposed state of health. If he were really
too ill to have the matter submitted to
him, and an answer – which, of course,
would be unfavourable – were to be received
from Mrs. Creswell, they might then act
on their own responsibility; with the feeling
that they had done their duty towards
the old gentleman, and without the smallest
care as to what his wife might say. This
view of Maud's, expressed to Joyce with
much diffidence, at once convinced him of
its soundness, and a little conversation
with those most interested, showed them the
wisdom of adopting it. Mr. Benthall wrote
a straightforward manly letter to Mr. Creswell,
asking consent to his marriage with
Gertrude. The day after its despatch,
Maud the impassible, who was reading the
Times, gave a suppressed shriek, and let the
paper fall to the ground. Joyce, who was
sitting close by talking to Lady Caroline,
picked it up, and read in it the
announcement of Mr. Creswell's death.

Of course this news caused an indefinite
postponement of the marriage. The two
girls grieved with deep and heartfelt sorrow
for the loss of the kind old man. All little
differences of the past few months were
forgotten. Marian had no part in their