Encouraged by my aunt's manner, the vicar's wife grew patronising and
kindly, and made it evident that she could do much to bridge the social
gulf between ourselves and the people of family about us.
I had just snatches of that conversation. "Mrs. Merridew brought him
quite a lot of money. Her father, I believe, had been in the Spanish
wine trade--quite a lady though. And after that he fell off his horse
and cracked his brain pan and took to fishing and farming. I'm sure
you'll like to know them. He's most amusing.... The daughter had a
disappointment and went to China as a missionary and got mixed up in a
massacre."...
"The most beautiful silks and things she brought back, you'd hardly
believe!"
"Yes, they gave them to propitiate her. You see, they didn't understand
the difference, and they thought that as they'd been massacring people,
THEY'D be massacred. They didn't understand the difference Christianity
makes."...
"Seven bishops they've had in the family!"
"Married a Papist and was quite lost to them."...
"He failed some dreadful examination and had to go into the militia.
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