3/16 You could afford to stick up for gentry till you lost the Bragton property." This was a subject that was always sore between Mr.Masters and his wife. The former Mrs.Masters had been a lady--the daughter of a neighbouring clergyman; and had been much considered by the family at Bragton. The present Mrs.Masters was the daughter of an ironmonger at Norrington, who had brought a thousand pounds with her, which had been very useful. No doubt Mr.Masters' practice had been considerably affected by the lowliness of his second marriage. People who used to know the first Mrs.Masters, such as Mrs.Mainwaring, and the doctor's wife, and old Mrs.Cooper, the wife of the vicar of Mallingham, would not call on the second Mrs. |