The Hogglestock farmers, male and female, were a rude,
rough set, not bordering in their social rank on the farmer gentle;
and Lady Lufton, knowing this, and hearing something of these
Crawleys from Mrs. Arabin the dean's wife, trimmed her lamps, so
that they should shed a wider light, and pour forth some of their
influence on that forlorn household. And as regards Mrs. Crawley,
Lady Lufton by no means found that her work and good-will were thrown
away. Mrs. Crawley accepted her kindness with thankfulness, and
returned to some of the softnesses of life under her hand. As for
dining at Framley Court, that was out of the question. Mr. Crawley,
she knew, would not hear of it, even if other things were fitting and
appliances were at command. Indeed Mrs. Crawley at once said that she
felt herself unfit to go through such a ceremony with anything like
comfort. The dean, she said, would talk of their going to stay at
the deanery; but she thought it quite impossible that either of them
should endure even that. But, all the same, Lady Lufton was a comfort
to her; and the poor woman felt that it was well to have a lady near
her in case of need.
The task was much harder with Mr. Crawley, but even with him it was
not altogether unsuccessful.
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