thought that there might be circumstances under which any body
displeasing him would be considerably afraid of Dr. Arnold Grey.

"Did you know of this, Christian?"

"Yes," she answered, very softly, with a glance, half warning, half
entreating, round upon the children. "But we will not say anything
about it I never did, and I had rather not do so now."

"I understand. We will speak of it another time?"

But he did not, neither that night, nor for several days and Christian felt
only too grateful for his silence.

Sometimes, when, after ringing at intervals of five minutes for some
trifling thing, Barker had sent up "Miss Gascoigne's compliments, and
the servants couldn't be spared to wait up stairs;" or the cook had
apologized for deficiencies in Arthur's dinner by "Miss Gascoigne
wanted it for lunch;" and especially when, to her various messages to
the nursery, no answer was ever returned--sometimes it had occurred to
Christian--gentle as she was, and too fully engrossed to notice small
things--that this was not exactly the position Dr. Grey's wife ought to
hold in his--and her--own house. Still she said nothing. She trusted to
time and patience. And she had such a dread of domestic war--of a
family divided against itself. Besides, some change must come, for in a
day or two she would have to resume her ordinary duties, to take her
place at the head of her husband's table, and once more endure the long
mornings, the weary evenings, to meet and pass over the sharp
speeches, the unloving looks, which made the continual atmosphere of
the Lodge.