Even Miss Gascoigne was the happier for it; less worried in her mind, having no feeling of domestic responsibility, and being no longer haunted by the children.
The poor little souls! she could get on well enough with them for an hour or two at Avonside, but they had been a sore affliction to her at the Lodge.

Any woman who can not wholly set aside self is sure to be tormented by, and be a still worse torment to, children.
No; much as she pitied herself, and condoled with Aunt Maria every hour in the day, Aunt Henrietta was a great deal better in every way since she came to Avonside--less cross, less ill-natured; even her perpetual mill-stream of talk flowed on without such violent outbreaks of wrath against the whole as had embittered the atmosphere of the Lodge.

Now, though her answer was sharp, it was not so sharp as it might have been--would certainly have been--a few weeks before.
"Maria, I don't think you ever do listen to me when I'm talking.

I am afraid all I say goes in at one ear and out at the other," which was not impossible, perhaps not unfortunate otherwise, since Miss Gascoigne talked pretty nearly all day long, Miss Grey's whole life might have been spent in listening.

She replied, with a meek smile, "Oh no, dear Henrietta!" "Then you surely would have made some observation on what I have been telling you--this very extraordinary thing which Miss Smiles told me last night at the Lodge, while Mrs.Grey was singing--as I forewarned you, Mrs.Grey sings every where now--and her husband lets her do it--likes it, too--he actually told me it was a pleasure to him that his wife should make herself agreeable to other people.