to come home at once. Hugh thinks that she should remain abroad for some
time, and indeed I am not sure but that would be best. At any rate, he
made me write to her, and advise her to stay. He declared that if she
came at once he would do nothing for her. The truth is, he does not want
to have her here, for if she were again in the house he would have to
take her part, if ill-natured things were said."

"That's cowardly," said Harry, stoutly.

"Don't say that, Harry, till you have heard it all. If he believes these
things, he is right not to wish to meddle. He is very hard, and always
believes evil. But he is not a coward. If she were here, living with him
as my sister, he would take her part, whatever he might himself think."

"But why should he think ill of his own sister-in-law? I have never
thought ill of her."

"You loved her, and he never did; though I think he liked her too, in
his way. But that's what he told me to do, and I did it. I wrote to her,
advising her to remain at Florence till the warm weather comes, saying
that, as she could not specially wish to be in London for the season, I
thought she would be more comfortable there than here; and then I added
that Hugh also advised her to stay. Of course I did not say that he
would not have her here--but that was his threat."

"She is not likely to press herself where she is not wanted."

"No--and she will not forget her rank and her money; for that must now
be hers. Julia can be quite as hard and as stubborn as he can. But I did
write as I say, and I think that if she had got my letter before she had