She had too much intelligence to be doubtful of John's wisdom, or of Mr.Crawley's zeal for his interest.
The letters she received were few and scanty, for Peter was but a poor correspondent, and he made little comment on the explanatory letter regarding his father's will which John and Mr.Crawley thought proper to send him.

The solicitor was justly indignant at Sir Peter's neglect to reply to this carefully thought-out and faultlessly indited epistle.
"He is just a chip of the old block," said Mr.Crawley.
But his mother divined that Peter was partly offended at his own utter exclusion from any share of responsibility, and partly too much occupied to give much attention to any matter outside his soldiering.
She said to herself that he was really too young to be troubled with business; and she began to believe, as the work at Barracombe advanced, that the results of so much planning and forethought must please him, after all.

The consolation of working in his interests was delightful to her.

Her days were filling almost miraculously, as it seemed to her, with new occupations, fresh hopes, and happier ideas, than the idle dreaming which was all that had hitherto been permitted to her.

John desired her help, or her suggestions, at every turn, and constantly consulted her taste.