evidently a most exacting woman; and meanwhile, Alice, who was just out,
and was really quite a pretty girl, would be entirely put in the
background by this young woman with her forward manner, and her title,
and the way she had as though the world belonged to her. Mrs. Hooper
felt no kinship with her whatever. She was Ewen's blood--not hers; and
the mother's jealous nature was all up in arms for her own
brood--especially for Alice. Nora could look after herself, and
invariably did. Besides Nora was so tiresome! She was always ready to
give the family case away--to give everything away, preposterously. And,
apropos, Mrs. Hooper expressed her annoyance with some silly notions
Nora had just expressed to her.

"I do hope, Ewen, you won't humour and spoil Constance too much! Nora
says now she's dissatisfied with her room and wants to buy some
furniture. Well, let her, I say. She has plenty of money, and we
haven't. We have given her a great deal more than we give our own
daughters--"

"She pays us, my dear!"

Mrs. Hooper straightened her thin shoulders.

"Well, and you give her the advantage of your name and your reputation
here. It is not as though you were a young don, a nobody. You've made
your position. Everybody asks us to all the official things--and Connie,
of course, will be asked, too."

A smile crept round Dr. Hooper's weak and pleasant mouth.

"Don't flatter yourself, Ellen, that Connie will find Oxford society