Mrs. Arnott's accounts, it was clear that the wife took a quadruple
share. Mrs. Rivers had been heard to say that Norman need not have
gone so far, and sacrificed so much, to obtain an under-bred English
congregation; and even the Doctor had sighed once or twice at having
relinquished his favourite son to what was dull and distasteful; but
Ethel could trust that this unmurmuring acceptance of the less
striking career, might be another step in the discipline of her
brother's ardent and ambitious nature. It is a great thing to
sacrifice, but a greater to consent not to sacrifice in one's own
way.

Ethel sat up for her father, and Mary would not go to bed and leave
her, so the two sisters waited till they heard the latch-key. Ethel
ran out, but her father was already on the stairs, and waved her
back.

'Here is some tea. Are you not coming, papa?--it is all here.'

'Thank you, I'll just go and take off this coat;' and he passed on to
his room.

'I don't like that,' said Ethel, returning to the drawing-room, where
Mary was boiling up the kettle, and kneeling down to make some toast.

'Why, what's the matter?'

'I have never known him go and change his coat but when some
infectious thing has been about. Besides, he did not wait to let me
help him off with it.'