After this scene Anthony's behaviour improved very much; his reports
from school were good, for he was quick and clever, and his great skill
in athletics made him a favourite. Also his grandfather, who prepared
him for confirmation, announced that the lad's nature seemed to have
softened.

So things remained for some time, to be accurate, for just so long as
the girl Bess was a servant at the Hall.

Anthony might talk about his mother's influence over him, and without
doubt when he was in his normal state this was considerable. Also it
served to prevent him from breaking out. But when he did break out, Bess
Catton alone could deal with him. Naturally it would be thought that
there was some mutual attraction between these young people. Yet this
was not so, at any rate on the part of the girl, who had been overheard
to tell Anthony to his face that she hated the sight of him and "would
cut him to ribbons" if she were his mother.

At any rate, there were others, or one other, of whom Bess did not hate
the sight, and in the end her behaviour caused such scandal that Barbara
was obliged to send her out of the house.

"All right, ma'am," she said, "I'll go, and be glad of a change. You may
ring your own bull-calf now and I wish you joy of the job, since there's
none but me that can lead him."

A few days later Anthony returned from school. With him came a letter
from the head master, who wrote that he did not wish to make any
scandal, and therefore had not expelled the boy. Still, he would be