Meadowsweet's house they had proved, in the ablest and most thorough
manner, that Mrs. Bertram was worldly and vain, that she lived beyond
her means, that she trained her daughters to think of themselves far
more highly than they ought to think, that in all probability she was
not what she pretended to be, and, finally, that poor Mrs. Meadowsweet,
dear Mrs. Meadowsweet, was in great danger on account of her friendship.

"I don't agree with you, ladies," said the good woman, as they were
leaving the house, but they neither heeded nor heard her remark.

The explanation of their conduct was simple enough. They were devoured
with jealousy. Had Mrs. Bertram called on any one of them, she would
have been in that person's estimation the most fascinating woman in
Northbury.




CHAPTER II.

MRS. BERTRAM'S WILL.


And Mrs. Bertram did not care in the least what anybody thought of her.
She was in no sense of the word a sham. She was well-born,
well-educated, respectably married, and fairly well-off. The people in
Northbury considered her rich. She always spoke of herself as poor. In
reality she was neither rich nor poor. She had an income of something
like twelve hundred a year, and on that she lived comfortably, educated
her children well, and certainly managed to present a nice appearance