A woman of great activity, she had perforce no way of expending her
energies excepting in connection with the people about her, and always in
intention at least she spent herself to some beneficent purpose. Yet
there was a considerable circle who much disliked her and whom she
herself regarded with almost limitless scorn. These were the folk, idle
people most of them, and very well-to-do, who, having made fortunes in
London, now lived within a radius of five to ten miles round Beechfield.
Miss Pendarth was on excellent terms with what one must call, for want of
a better name, the cottage class. To them she was a good, firm, faithful
friend, seeing them through their many small and great troubles, and
taking real pains to help their sons and daughters to make good starts
in life. Many a village mother had asked Miss Pendarth to "speak" to her
naughty girl or headstrong son, and as she was quite fearless, her words
often had a surprising effect. She neither patronised nor scolded, and it
was impossible to take her in.
But when dealing with the affairs of those of her neighbours, who were
well-to-do, and who regarded themselves as belonging to her own class, it
was quite another matter.
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