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Before Miss Lindsay left London she accompanied her late cousin's ward to Victoria, and saw her depart for Brighton. The old lady was by no means sorry that this was the last she was to see of Laura Mowbray. There had been from the first hour of their meeting a natural antipathy between the two women. Miss Lindsay's ruling idea was that of duty, while Laura's chief aim in life was to get as much amusement, or, failing that, as much comfort as possible, out of her existence. They had put up with each other because they happened to be members of the same household, and each had too much sense to indulge in quarrelling or recrimination. Naturally they both felt it to be a relief when the connection came to an end.
But no sooner were Miss Lindsay and Margaret seated in the carriage which conveyed them back to Claremont Gardens, than the old lady's conscience began to trouble her. It told her that she had done nothing for the girl who had been for some years in a manner under her care. She had not tried to wean her from her pleasure-loving, selfish habits. She had not tried to sympathize with her, or to make life in Mr. Lindsay's house, which was often cheerless enough, a whit more pleasant for her. Beyond lending volumes of sermons and religious memoirs to her to read on Sundays, she had not tried to influence the motherless girl for good. Why had she not thought of all this before it was too late?