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‘Oh, mother!’ cried Ella in despair, ‘indeed I was going to tell you–only, I did not know myself till yesterday. At least, that is—-‘ she broke off lamely, fearing to reflect on George.

‘I find it hard to believe that George would act without consulting you in any way. It is strange enough that he should have undertaken to furnish the house in your absence.’

‘But if I couldn’t be there!’ pleaded Ella–‘and I couldn’t.’

‘Naturally, as you were on the Continent, you couldn’t be on Campden Hill at the same time; you need not be absurd, Ella. But what I want to know is this–have you had a voice in the matter, or have you not?’

‘N–not much,’ confessed Ella, hanging her head.

‘So I suspected, and I think George ought to be ashamed of himself. I never heard of such a thing, and I shall make a point of seeing the house and satisfying myself that it is fit for a daughter of mine to inhabit.’

‘Mother!’ exclaimed Ella, springing up excitedly, ‘you don’t understand. Why should you choose to suppose that the house is not pretty? It is not done as you would do it, because poor George hadn’t much money to spend; but if I am satisfied, why should you come between us? And I am satisfied–quite, quite satisfied; he has done it all beautifully, and I will not have a single thing altered! After all, it is his house–our house–and nobody else has any right to interfere–not even you, mother!’

Mrs. Hylton shrugged her shoulders. ‘Oh, my dear, if that is the way you think proper to speak to me, it is time to change the subject. Pray understand that I shall not dream of interfering. I am very glad that you are so satisfied.’ And by-and-by she left the room majestically.

When she had gone, Flossie, who had been listening open-eyed to all that had taken place, came and stood in front of Ella’s chair.

‘Ella, tell me,’ she said, ‘has George really furnished the house exactly as you like–really now?’

‘Haven’t I said so, Flossie? Why should you doubt it?’

‘Oh, I don’t know; I was wondering, that was all!’

‘Really!’ cried Ella angrily, ‘anyone would think poor George was a sort of barbarian, who couldn’t be expected to know anything, or trusted to do anything!’

‘I’m sure I never said so, Ella. But how clever of him to choose just the right things! And, Ella, do all the colours and things go well together? I always thought most men didn’t notice much about all that. And are the new mantelpieces pretty? Oh, and where did he go for the papers and the carpets?’

‘Flossie, I wish you wouldn’t tease so. Can’t you see I have a headache? I can’t answer so many questions, and I won’t! Once for all, everything is just what I like. Do you understand, or shall I tell you again?–just, just what I like!’

‘Oh, all right,’ returned Flossie, with exasperating good-humour; ‘then there’s nothing to lose your temper about, darling, is there?’

And this was all that Ella had gained by her loyalty to George so far.

It was the morning after the Chapmans’ visit. Ella had seen her mother and Flossie preparing to go out, but, owing to the friction between them, they neither invited her to accompany them, nor did she venture to ask where they were going. At luncheon, however, the unhappy girl divined from the expression of their faces how they had employed the forenoon. They had been inspecting the Campden Hill house! Her mother’s handsome face wore a look of frozen contempt. Imagine a strict Quaker’s feelings on seeing his son with a pair of black eyes–a Socialist’s at finding a peerage under his daughter’s pillow–a Positivist’s whose children have all joined the Salvation Army, and even then but a faint idea will be reached of Mrs. Hylton’s utter dismay and disgust.

Flossie, though angry, took a different view of Ella’s share in the business; she knew her better than her mother did, and consequently refused to believe that she was a Philistine at heart. It was her absurd infatuation for George that made her see with his eyes and bow down before the hideous household gods he had chosen to erect. On such weakness Flossie had no mercy.