SIR MAURICE BUTLER’S MANAGEMENT

New Zealand Tablet, 24 August 1911, Page 1615

SIR MAURICE BUTLER’S MANAGEMENT

Mrs. Danton was lachrymose, nervous, and a little angry. On the other hand Mrs. Butler was decidedly angry, scornful, and not in the least nervous.. It was said by her enemies, of which she had more than due proportion, that nerves didn’t enter into her composition. Well, Adela says she won’t stand it—’ Mrs. Danton began. Z , ‘ Bah! Adela Why doesn’t she make herself attractive?’ Mrs. Butler interrupted rudely. ‘ I have no patience with girls like Adela. It is the fault of such girls when young men get up a flirtation with the like of that woman at the department farm.’ ‘Attractive!’ Adela Danton’s mother repeated. * Attractive ! Why Adela was one of the best-dressed girls of last season. And she doesn’t need to study expense.’ Mrs. Butler sniffed.

Oh, dressed!’ she . said contemptuously. She knows how to dress, I suppose. Most women do. Why isn’t she bright and witty? She. isn’t. She’s too lazy to try. She thinks her duty is done by looking pretty. I wonder does she know that men hate pretty, inane girls more than positively ugly ones.’ -. ‘ Inane ’ Mrs Danton began. Mrs, Butler realised suddenly that she might go too far. ‘ I don’t exactly mean that Adela is inane or stupid ; but Percy has always liked bright,, sparkling society. I am certain there is nothing whatever in his visits to the farm. He, naturally, is interested in all new methods of farming, seeing that all this property will one day be his.’ ‘Oh, Sir Maurice may marry,’ Mrs. Danton said shortly. - .■;■,■■■. .. > . ; Mrs. Butler laughed. - . v ‘Maurice marry! He may do many things, go to ©the North Pole or the like; but marry No, no. He is living really in the fifth or sixth century, among the saints and scholars of Ireland’s golden age.’ ‘He isn’t really old,’ Mrs. Danton persisted. ‘ He’ll never see forty but one can’t reckon his age by years. He’s far in advance of his years. And he had a disappointment in youth, I believe. Oh, no, Maurice won’t marry.’ ‘ Percy is treating Adela badly. You know he should have spoken out before now. It isn’t like as if Adela was portionless ’ Mrs. Butler rang the bell for tea and mastered her temper with an effort. Didn’t all the world know that Percy Butler would never have paid court to an English brewer’s daughter if it were not for her fortune ? Even as it was he had been dexterously led to do so by his mother. Both were notoriously in debt, and both were extravagant. Sometimes Mrs. Butler wondered what on earth they should have done had Maurice Butler not asked his cousin’s widow to make her home at Glen-Butler.-

Tea was brought in by a trim servant maid. If the carpets were threadbare at Glen-Butler and the furniture moth-eaten, the old silver and the delicate old-fashioned china had but improved with time. Mrs. Danton knew enough about both china and silver to appreciate her cup, saucer, and spoon. ‘Couldn’t you speak to Percy?’ Mrs. Butler laughed shortly. ‘l’m not quite a fool. The men of the Butlers won’t drive.’

‘Couldn’t you speak to the—person ■ Mrs. Danton fully expected an angry reply. !. ‘I have been thinking of that. The girl she isn’t quite a girl, but the more dangerous for that seems a quiet, sensible person. She’s matron or manageress of the house, so I could go to see the dairy and poultry yard. . Yes, I’ll say a few words to Miss -—-. What’s her name?’

‘ Darragh,’