suchaniceoldman,notabitlikeaclergymanandheusedtosayIwashisonlyparishionerwhomhereallylikedvisiting....I’mnottiringyou,amI,dear?”
“Oh,dear,no!”saidBertha.
“NowIsupposetheGlovershavebeentalkingallsortsofstufftoyou.Ofcourseonehastoputupwithit,Isuppose,becauseitsetsagoodexampletothelowerordersbutImustsayIdothinktheclergynowadayssometimesforgettheirplace.Iconsideritmostobjectionablewhentheyinsistontalkingreligionwithyou,asifyouwereacommonperson....Butthey’renotnearlysoniceastheyusedtobe.Inmyyoungdaystheclergywerealwaysgentlemen’ssons—butthentheyweren’texpectedtotroubleaboutthepoor.Icanquiteunderstandthatnowagentlemanshouldn’tliketobecomeaclergymanhehastomixwiththelowerclasses,andthey’regrowingmorefamiliareveryday.”
ButsuddenlyBertha,withoutwarning,burstintotears.Mrs.Brandertonwasflabbergasted!
“Mydear,whatisthematter?Whereareyoursalts?ShallIringthebell?”
Bertha,sobbingviolently,beggedMrs.Brandertontotakenonoticeofher.Thatfashionablecreaturehadasentimentalheart,andwouldhavebeendelightedtoweepwithBerthabutshehadseveralcallstomake,andcouldnotriskadisarrangementofherperson.Shewasalsocurious,andwouldhavegivenmuchtofindoutthecauseofBertha’soutburst.Shecomfortedherself,however,bygivingtheHancocks,whoseAtHomedayitwas,adetailedaccountoftheaffairandthey,shortlyafterwards,recounteditwithsundryembellishmentstoMrs.MaystonRyle.
Mrs.MaystonRyle,magnificentlyimposingasever,snortedlikeachargereagerforbattle.
“Mrs.Brandertonsendsmetosleepfrequently,”shesaid“ButIcanquiteunderstandthatifthepoorthingisn’twell,Mrs.Brandertonwouldmakehercry.IneverseehermyselfunlessI’minthemostrobusthealth,otherwiseIknowshe’dsimplymakemehowl.”
“ButIwonderwhatwasthematterwithpoorMrs.Craddock,”saidMissHancock.
“Idon’tknow,”answeredMrs.MaystonRyleinhermajesticmanner.“ButI’llfindout.Idaresaysheonlywantsalittlegoodsociety.Ishallgoandseeher.”
Andshedid!