they recognized in her the married heiress of the Hanburys, not the widow
of a Lord Ludlow, of whom they and their forefathers knew nothing; and
against whose memory, indeed, there rankled a dim unspoken grudge, the
cause of which was accurately known to the very few who understood the
nature of a mortgage, and were therefore aware that Madam's money had
been taken to enrich my lord's poor land in Scotland. I am sure--for you
can understand I was behind the scenes, as it were, and had many an
opportunity of seeing and hearing, as I lay or sat motionless in my
lady's room with the double doors open between it and the anteroom
beyond, where Lady Ludlow saw her steward, and gave audience to her
tenants,--I am certain, I say, that Mr. Horner was silently as much
annoyed at the money that was swallowed up by this mortgage as any one;
and, some time or other, he had probably spoken his mind out to my lady;
for there was a sort of offended reference on her part, and respectful
submission to blame on his, while every now and then there was an implied
protest--whenever the payments of the interest became due, or whenever my
lady stinted herself of any personal expense, such as Mr. Horner thought
was only decorous and becoming in the heiress of the Hanburys. Her
carriages were old and cumbrous, wanting all the improvements which had
been adopted by those of her rank throughout the county. Mr. Horner
would fain have had the ordering of a new coach. The carriage-horses,
too, were getting past their work; yet all the promising colts bred on
the estate were sold for ready money; and so on. My lord, her son, was
ambassador at some foreign place; and very proud we all were of his glory
and dignity; but I fancy it cost money, and my lady would have lived on
bread and water sooner than have called upon him to help her in paying
off the mortgage, although he was the one who was to benefit by it in the
end.

Mr. Horner was a very faithful steward, and very respectful to my lady;