Charlton had to dress for dinner and sit as upright as usual through the
meal, and to talk a little before the servants. Rose appeared the more
dazed of the two then, though her mind had been quite clear before.
There was nothing said as soon as they were alone, but, as if with one
accord, both glanced at each of the many letters brought by the last
post, and, if it were one of condolence, laid it aside unread. The
butler had placed on a small table two evening papers, which had notices
of the memorial service for Sir David Bright, and one had some lines "In
Memoriam" from a poet of considerable repute. Rose, finding the papers
at her elbow, got up and changed her chair. It was not till they had
gone up to their rooms and parted that Lady Charlton felt speech to be
possible. She wrapped her purple dressing-gown round her and went into
Rose's room. She found her sitting in a low chair by the fire leaning
forward, her elbows pressed on her knees, her face buried in her hands.
Then, very quietly and impersonally, they discussed the situation. With
a rare self-command the mother never used one expression of reprobation;
if she had done so, Rose could not have spoken again. It seemed more and
more, as they spoke in the two gentle voices, so much alike in tone and
accent, in a half pathetic, half musical intonation; it seemed as they
sat so quietly without tears, almost without gestures, as if they
discussed the story of another woman and another man. There were some
differences in their views, and the mother's was ever the hardest on the
dead man. For instance, Rose believed through all that another will
existed, although she was convinced that she should never see it. Her
mother's judgment coincided with the lawyer's; the soldier would have
made the change, if it were made at all, before starting for the war.
No, the whole thing had been too recently gone into; it was so short a
time since the codicil had been added. Of that codicil, too, Lady
Charlton's view was quite clear. She thought the object of adding it had
been to save appearances. "As long as you live in this house, furnished