Chapter 2.II.

Dora had been out three seasons when these things happened. I
remember sharing Edward Harris's anxiety in no slight degree as to
how the situation would resolve itself when she came, the situation
consisting so considerably in his eyes of the second Mrs. Harris,
who had complicated it further with three little red-cheeked boys,
all of the age to be led about the station on very small ponies, and
not under any circumstances to be allowed in the drawing-room when
one went to tea with their mother. No one, except perhaps poor Ted
himself, was more interested than I to observe how the situation did
resolve itself, in the decision of Mrs. Harris that the boys, the
two eldest at least, must positively begin the race for the
competitive examinations of the future without further delay, and
that she must as positively be domiciled in England 'to be near'
them, at all events until they had well made the start. I should
have been glad to see them ride their ponies up and down the Mall a
bit longer, poor little chaps; they were still very cherubic to be
invited to take a view of competitive examinations, however distant;
but Mrs. Harris's conviction was not to be overcome. So they went
home to begin, and she went with them, leaving Dora in possession of
her father, her father's house, his pay, his precedence, and all
that was his. Not that I would suggest any friction; I am convinced
that there was nothing like that--at least, nothing that met the
eye, or the ear. Dora adored the three little boys and was
extremely kind to their mother. She regarded this lady, I have
reason to believe, with the greatest indulgence, and behaved towards
her with the greatest consideration; I mean she had unerring
intuitions as to just when, on afternoons when Mrs. Harris was at