‘I was speaking of his doings at Wrangerton.’
‘Tell me.’
‘Oh! they are admirable. You know he went there with that good little Lady Lucy, and they set to work at once, doing everything for the parish—’
‘Do your sisters know Lady Lucy?’
‘Very little; it is only formal visiting now and then. She leads a very retired life, and they know her best from meeting her at the schools and cottages.’
‘Good little girl! I knew there was something in her!’
‘She is always with her brother, walking and riding and writing for him, carrying out all his views.’
‘I saw how he came forward about those poor colliery children. Such a speech, as that, was turning his talents to good account, and I am glad to hear it is not all speechifying.’
‘No, indeed, it is real self-denial. The first thing he did was to take his affairs into his own hands, so that my father has comparatively nothing to do with them. He found them in a bad state, which papa could not help, with him living abroad, and attending to nothing, only sending for money, whatever papa could say. So there was a great outlay wanted for church and schools for the collieries at Coalworth, and nothing to meet it, and that was the way he came to sell off all the statues and pictures.’
‘Did he? Well done, Lord St. Erme!’ cried Theodora. ‘That was something like a sacrifice.’