"No, George; it is not likely that I should allow a person in Mrs.
Mallet's position to speak disrespectfully to me about Cecilia. Cecilia
said Mrs. Mallet was perfectly respectable."

"I should not think dear old Ciss exactly knew the meaning of the word."

"Cecilia may be peculiar in many ways, but she is too much of a lady to
send me any one who was not quite nice. I don't believe there is
anything against Mrs. Mallet's character. She cooks very well, you must
allow that; you said only two days ago you never had tasted an omelette
so nicely made in England."

"Did she cook that omelette? Then I am sure she is perfectly
respectable; and pray let her see as many ghosts as she cares to,
especially if it leads to nothing worse than her taking a moderate
quantity of brandy. Time to smoke, Lindy. I am off."

I dragged myself up after my usual fashion, and was preparing to follow
him, when Lady Atherley, directly he was gone, began:

"It is such a pity that clever people can never see things as others do.
George always goes on in this way as if the ghost were of no
consequence, but I always knew how it would be. Of course it is nice
that George should come in for the place, as he might not have done if
his uncle had married, and people said it would be delightful to live in
such an old house, but there are a good many drawbacks, I can assure
you. Sir Marmaduke lived abroad for years before he died, and everything
has got into such a state. We have had to nearly refurnish the house;
the bedrooms are not done yet. The servants' accommodation is very bad
too, and there was no proper cooking-range in the kitchen. But the worst