at the failure of the attempt to please Mrs. Meadows. She was so
uneasy about the Osborn question, that she waylaid Mr. Kendal on his
return from riding, and laid it before him.

'My dear Albinia,' he said, as if he would fain have avoided the
appeal, 'you must manage your own visiting affairs your own way. I
do not wish to offend my neighbours, nor would I desire to be very
intimate with any one. I suppose you must pay them ordinary
civility, and you know what that amounts to. As to the leadership in
society here, she is a noisy woman, full of pretension, and thus
always arrogates the distinction to herself. Your claims will
establish themselves.'

'Oh, you don't imagine me thinking of that!' cried Albinia, laughing.
'I meant their behaving ill to Mr. Dusautoy.'

'I know nothing about that. Mr. Dusautoy once called to ask for my
support for a vestry meeting, but I make it a rule never to meddle
with parish skirmishes. I believe there was a very unbecoming scene,
and that Mr. Dusautoy was in the minority.'

'Ah, Edmund, next time you'll see if a parson's sister can sit
quietly by to see the parson beaten!'

He smiled, and moved towards his study.

'Then I am to be civil?'

'Certainly.'