But when old Mrs Dale died, the squire offered the place rent-free to his sister-in-law, intimating to her that her daughters would obtain considerable social advantages by living at Allington.

She had accepted the offer, and the social advantages had certainly followed.

Mrs Dale was poor, her whole income not exceeding three hundred a year, and therefore her own style of living was of necessity very unassuming; but she saw her girls becoming popular in the county, much liked by the families around them, and enjoying nearly all the advantages which would have accrued to them had they been the daughters of Squire Dale of Allington.

Under such circumstances it was little to her whether or no she were loved by her brother-in-law, or respected by Hopkins.

Her own girls loved her, and respected her, and that was pretty much all that she demanded of the world on her own behalf.
And Uncle Christopher had been very good to the girls in his own obstinate and somewhat ungracious manner.