You won't know the place when I have done with it. I am
going to take you all in hand and bring you up-to-date."
Her keen dark eyes rested upon her step-daughter with a smile of
peculiar meaning. Sylvia met them with the utmost directness.
"We like simplicity," she said.
Mrs. Ingleton pursed her lips, "Oh, but there is simplicity and
simplicity! Give me warmth, homeliness, and plenty of pretty
things. This place is archaically cold--quite like a convent. And
you, my dear, might be the Sister Superior from your air. Now,
Gilbert darling, you and I are going to be very firm with this
child. I can plainly see she needs a guiding hand. She has had
much too much responsibility for so young a girl. We are going to
alter all that. We are going to make her very happy--as well as
good."
She tapped Sylvia's shoulder with smiling significance, looking at
her husband to set his seal to the declaration.
Mr. Ingleton was obviously feeling very uncomfortable. He glanced
at Sylvia almost appealingly.
"I hope we are all going to be happy," he said rather gruffly.
"Don't see why we shouldn't be, I'm sure. I like a quiet life
myself. Got some tea for us, Sylvia?"
Sylvia turned, stiffly unresponsive to her step-mother's
blandishments. "This way," she said, and crossed the hall to the
drawing-room.
It was a beautiful room aglow just then with the rays of the
western sun.
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