Winslow's
own, though, as Griff observed, not only character, but years and
features might alike acquit them of any such doings; but even he
could not laugh long, for it was no small vexation to him that such
offence should have arisen between his mother and wife. Of course
there was no open quarrel--my mother had far too much dignity to
allow it to come to that--but each said in private bitter things of
the other, and my lady's manner of declining to leave her baby at
Chantry House was almost offensive.
Poor Griffith, who had been growing more like himself every day,
tried in vain to smooth matters, and would have been very glad to
leave his child to my mother's management, though, of course, he
acquitted the nurse of the midnight adventure. He privately owned
to us that he had no opinion of the woman, but he defended her to my
mother, in whose eyes this was tantamount to accusing her own
respectable maids, since it was incredible that any rational person
could accept the phantom theory.
Gladly would he have been on better terms, for he had had to confess
that his wife's fortune had turned out to be much less than common
report had stated, or than her style of living justified, and that
his marriage had involved him in a sea of difficulties, so that he
had to beg for a larger allowance, and for assistance in paying off
debts.
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