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And Mrs Mildmay, unspoilt by her long residence in the East as full of energy and resources as when she arranged the drawing-rooms at Stannesley in her careless girlish days, and laughed merrily at her kind step-mother's old-fashioned notions exerted herself to make the house as pretty as she possibly could.
'Everything was nice at Stannesley, said Frances with a sigh. 'Granny and Uncle Marmy really loved us; that makes the difference. 'Aunt Alison loves us in her way, said Jacinth. 'Everybody can't be the same. I think you're getting into a very bad habit of grumbling, Frances. And this afternoon you really should be pleased.
'If only I could take you all out with me; for his regiment was that of his brother-in-law. 'Yes indeed if only! said Jacinth, as she said again that first evening at Thetford. Stannesley, the Denisons' old home, was to be let.
No, it would be much the nicest for us to live here and you at Stannesley, and for us to pay each other lovely visits. Of course we'd always be together at Christmas and times like that. And your wife must be very, very nice like a sort of elder sister to us, you know, and' 'My darlings, said poor Marmy, to whom it had suddenly occurred to look at his watch, 'time's up or just about it.
'I had better have it, though no doubt Miss Alison Mildmay is well known in the place. Jacinth gave it. 'Number 9, Market Square Place, she said. 'Oh, I know where it is a row of rather nice quaint old houses. Still, you must feel rather cooped up there sometimes, after Stannesley; was not that the Denisons' place? I was there once.
And no life could have been simpler, though from that very fact not without a certain dignity of its own, than the family life at Stannesley, which was in reality the only training these girls had ever known. 'I'm very sorry, Jass, said the younger sister, penitently. 'It was only it did seem funny that her name was Harper, when I am so fond of Bessie and Marg'
Only, in that case, they would have returned the cheque. 'It is very absurd, she said one evening to Frances. 'I don't generally "worry" about things at all, and I am quite sure I have never worried about any matter of our own as much. Except, perhaps, that time you all had scarlet fever at Stannesley, and somehow Marmy's letter missed the mail, and we were out of reach of telegraphing.
Just fancy how we should have been ready to jump out of our skins for joy if we had known, when we left Stannesley, how soon papa and mamma would be at home with us. 'I know, said Jacinth. 'I do try to think of all that. But I do so dislike this gloomy place, Francie, and I think papa looks so fagged, and we have scarcely any friends we care for; the people are all so stupid, and so' 'So what?
And I wasn't in a hurry to explain; don't you remember that Lady Myrtle kept asking if we were sure our grandmother was only Mrs? Yes, that had been so, but still the slightly hurt feeling which Jacinth's tone about the dear Stannesley people had more than once given Frances still remained, and she might have said more, had not her sister prevented her doing so.
Her eyes were red with crying, but she welcomed Mrs Mildmay very civilly, though with a sort of reserve of manner which struck Jacinth as very different from the extremely hearty, though respectful, deference with which, as her grandmother's messenger, she used to be received by their own villagers at Stannesley. 'You'll be come to ask for my daughter, said the woman.
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