CHAPTER II.
Lady Catherine is Mother's aunt by marriage, and Mother is one of the few people she is not rude to.
She is very rude, and yet she is very kind, especially to the poor.
But she does kind things so rudely, that people now and then wish that she would mind her own business instead.

Father says so, though Mother would say that that is gossip.

But I think sometimes that Mother is thinking of Aunt Catherine when she tells us that in kindness it is not enough to be good to others, one should also learn to be gracious.
Mother thought she was very rude to _her_ once, when she said, quite out loud, that Father is very ill-tempered, and that, if Mother had not the temper of an angel, the house could never hold together.
Mother was very angry, but Father did not mind.

He says our house will hold together much longer than most houses, because he swore at the workmen, and went to law with the builder for using dirt instead of mortar, so the builder had to pull down what was done wrong, and do it right; and Father says he knows he has a bad temper, but he does not mean to pull the house over our heads at present, unless he has to get bricks out to heave at Lady Catherine if she becomes quite unbearable.
We do not like dear Father to be called bad-tempered.

He comes home cross sometimes, and then we have to be very quiet, and keep out of the way; and sometimes he goes out rather cross, but not always.