While she thought Emily unlikely to allow herself to deteriorate into an encumbrance, her ladyship had seen women in her position before, whose marriages had made perfect fools of them through causing them to lose their heads completely and require concessions and attentions from their newly acquired relations which bored everybody.

So she had lightly patted and praised Emily for the course of action she preferred to "keep her up to." "She's the kind of woman ideas sink into if they are well put," she had remarked in times gone by.

"She's not sharp enough to see that things are being suggested to her, but a suggestion acts upon her delightfully." Her suggestions acted upon Emily as she walked about the gardens at Palstrey, pondering in the sunshine and soothed by the flower scents of the warmed borders.

Such a letter written to Walderhurst might change his cherished plans, concerning which she knew he held certain ambitions.

He had been so far absorbed in them that he had gone to India at a time of the year which was not usually chosen for the journey.