"
"Yes; the others are Lilian and Edith. And are you the prettiest?"
"I haven't the least idea," said the girl.
"I think you must be." And in this way the aunt and the niece made
friends. The aunt had quarrelled years before with her brother-in-law,
after the death of her sister, taking him to task for the manner in
which he brought up his three girls. Being a high-tempered man he
had requested her to mind her own business, and she had taken him at
his word. For many years she held no communication with him and
after his death had addressed not a word to his daughters, who had
been bred in that disrespectful view of her which we have just seen
Isabel betray. Mrs. Touchett's behaviour was, as usual, perfectly
deliberate. She intended to go to America to look after her
investments (with which her husband, in spite of his great financial
position, had nothing to do) and would take advantage of this
opportunity to enquire into the condition of her nieces. There was
no need of writing, for she should attach no importance to any account
of them she should elicit by letter; she believed, always, in seeing
for one's self. Isabel found, however, that she knew a good deal about
them, and knew about the marriage of the two elder girls; knew that
their poor father had left very little money, but that the house in
Albany, which had passed into his hands, was to be sold for their
benefit; knew, finally, that Edmund Ludlow, Lilian's husband, had
taken upon himself to attend to this matter, in consideration of which
the young couple, who had come to Albany during Mr.
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