"It is too bad," she blurted out, indignantly. "Why do folks go and die like that, and leave their wretched brats on other people's hands."
A faint color crept into Mrs. West's comely face at the scornful words.
"My lady, it's the will of God," she said, in her quiet, deprecating way.
"I don't believe God has anything to do with it," cried the old lady, violently. "If He did, He would prevent poor folks from marrying, in the first place."
And then as she saw how patiently the woman endured these taunts, she had the grace to be ashamed of herself.
"Well, there, there; I dare say you don't care to hear your folks spoken of in that way," she said, in a milder tone. "But then Richard West was no kin to you, anyway—only your husband's brother!"
Mrs. West could not forbear a pertinent little retort.
"And Captain Lancaster is only your husband's nephew, my lady, yet you take a great interest in him," she said.
Lady Lancaster gave her a keen little glance. "Humph! West has some spirit in her," she said to herself; then, aloud, she replied: