"My dear mother--my dear girls--what is it all about? I am sure Vera does
not mean----"

"No, Vera only means to be kind, grandmamma," cries Marion, nervously;
"she is so fond of the children----"

"Hold your tongue, Marion, and don't take your sister's part so
shamelessly!"

Meanwhile Vera rises silently and pushes Tommy and all his enormities
gently by the shoulders out of the room. Then she turns round and faces
her foe.

"Judge between us, Eustace!" the old lady is crying; "am I to be defied
and set at nought? are we all to bow down and worship Miss Vera, the most
useless, lazy person in the house, who turns up her nose at honest men
and prefers to live on charity, a burden to her relations?"

"Vera is no burden, only a great pleasure to me, my dear mother," said
the clergyman, holding out his hand to the girl.

"Oh, grandmamma, how unkind you are," says Marion, bursting into tears.
But Vera only laughs lazily and amusedly, she is so used to it all! It
does not disturb her.

"Is she to be mistress here, I ask, or am I?" continues Mrs. Daintree,
furiously.

"Marion is the mistress here," says Vera, boldly; "neither you nor I have