home. With pushing and scraping and with letting Branshaw
Teleragh, and with selling a picture and a relic of Charles I or so.
had got--and, poor dear, she had never had a really decent dress to
her back in all those years and years--she had got, as she
imagined, her poor dear husband back into much the same
financial position as had been his before the mistress of the Grand
Duke had happened along. And, of course, Edward himself had
helped her a little on the financial side. He was a fellow that many
men liked. He was so presentable and quite ready to lend you his
cigar puncher--that sort of thing. So, every now and then some
financier whom he met about would give him a good, sound,
profitable tip. And Leonora was never afraid of a bit of a
gamble--English Papists seldom are, I do not know why.

So nearly all her investment turned up trumps, and Edward was
really in fit case to reopen Branshaw Manor and once more to
assume his position in the county. Thus Leonora had accepted
Maisie Maidan almost with resignation--almost with a sigh of
relief. She really liked the poor child--she had to like somebody.
And, at any rate, she felt she could trust Maisie--she could trust
her not to rook Edward for several thousands a week, for Maisie
had refused to accept so much as a trinket ring from him. It is true
that Edward gurgled and raved about the girl in a way that she had
never yet experienced. But that, too, was almost a relief. I think
she would really have welcomed it if he could have come across
the love of his life. It would have given her a rest.

And there could not have been anyone better than poor little Mrs
Maidan; she was so ill she could not want to be taken on
expensive jaunts. . . . It was Leonora herself who paid Maisie's