CHAPTER XV.
WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT IT IN THE CLOSE.
When Miss Stanbury, in the Close at Exeter, was first told of the arrangement that had been made at Nuncombe Putney, she said some very hard words as to the thing that had been done.

She was quite sure that Mrs.Trevelyan was no better than she should be.

Ladies who were separated from their husbands never were any better than they should be.

And what was to be thought of any woman, who, when separated from her husband, would put herself under the protection of such a Paladin as Hugh Stanbury?
She heard the tidings of course from Dorothy, and spoke her mind even to Dorothy plainly enough; but it was to Martha that she expressed herself with her fullest vehemence.
"We always knew," she said, "that my brother had married an addle-pated, silly woman, one of the most unsuited to be the mistress of a clergyman's house that ever a man set eyes on; but I didn't think she'd allow herself to be led into such a stupid thing as this." "I don't suppose the lady has done anything amiss,--any more than combing her husband's hair, and the like of that," said Martha.
"Don't tell me! Why, by their own story, she has got a lover." "But he ain't to come after her down here, I suppose.

And as for lovers, ma'am, I'm told that the most of 'em have 'em up in London.
But it don't mean much, only just idle talking and gallivanting." "When women can't keep themselves from idle talking with strange gentlemen, they are very far gone on the road to the devil.