Two--three years soon flew by, and Linda and Gertrude became the
Miss Woodwards; their frocks were prolonged, their drawers
curtailed, and the lessons abandoned. But still Alaric Tudor and
Harry Norman came to Hampton not less frequently than of yore,
and the world resident on that portion of the left bank of the
Thames found out that Harry Norman and Gertrude Woodward were to
be man and wife, and that Alaric Tudor and Linda Woodward were to
go through the same ceremony. They found this out, or said that
they had done so. But, as usual, the world was wrong; at least in
part, for at the time of which we are speaking no word of love-
making had passed, at any rate, between the last-named couple.

And what was Mrs. Woodward about all this time? Was she match-
making or match-marring; or was she negligently omitting the
duties of a mother on so important an occasion? She was certainly
neither match-making nor match-marring; but it was from no
negligence that she was thus quiescent. She knew, or thought she
knew, that the two young men were fit to be husbands to her
daughters, and she felt that if the wish for such an alliance
should spring up between either pair, there was no reason why she
should interfere to prevent it. But she felt also that she should
not interfere to bring any such matter to pass. These young
people had by chance been thrown together. Should there be love-
passages among them, as it was natural to suppose there might be,
it would be well. Should there be none such, it would be well
also. She thoroughly trusted her own children, and did not
distrust her friends; and so as regards Mrs. Woodward the matter
was allowed to rest.

We cannot say that on this matter we quite approve of her