“I will put her down, yet!” she said to herself, after another return, through the Sea-flower, of “good for evil.”  “She shall yet feel my power! and why Mr. Santon will persist in her staying with us, is more than I can tell.  But that is the way with these men! they will get strange notions into their heads, which nobody can account for; even a wife’s wishes are looked upon as of little consequence, in comparison with their lordly commands.  I should not be surprised at any time if Santon should withhold a favor from me to lavish upon her!  But I’m thinking that he will before long find out what I am made of, if he thwarts my wishes.  To be sure, his daughter has become attached to her, but what of that?  She must learn that she cannot have every whim gratified; she is a spoiled child at best, and will not be likely to improve under her skim-milk discipline.  Leave me alone for managing affairs.  I’ve got the staff in my own hands, and all they can do wont make me anything but the Honorable Mr. Santon’s lady! though I’m greatly mistaken if he don’t look with evil eyes on the day that made me his bride; but that’s not of the slightest consequence, as I used to tell my first husband.  Poor fellow!  I suppose I was rather hard upon him once in a while; but I knew he was waiting patiently for the day which should separate us.  He little thought he would go first,” and the woman laughed aloud, as she thought how she had crept into the good graces of her present husband.  “Leave me alone for playing my part,” she said, as seated in her own apartment, she listened to the voice of Delwood in the drawing-room.  “It is evident that her very life is wrapt up in Mr. Delwood, and it is really quite a pity that so fine a fellow should be deceived; and lest she should follow my illustrious example, I might as well interfere in their arrangements; and if I can see aright, she has talked the enviable heiress into the belief that her brother is a very paragon of perfection, for she knows right well that a good bag of money would be no serious objection to his fishermanship.  How they ever raised two such likely looking specimens of humanity down there in the land of whales, is a mystery; but they’ll find they cannot take the precedence with Boston gentry.  If I can avail anything, my particular friend Montague shall try his luck in securing that portion of the heiress’s estate which I shall be pleased to leave her.”

With these plans matured, she ushered herself into Delwood’s presence, and in her blandest manner made him welcome, initiating herself as far as possible into his good opinion, which was no difficult task, inasmuch as he had been accustomed to look upon a character so spotless, that he was not prepared for the detestable machinations of one who was not worthy the name of woman.  It had been far from the Sea-flower to breathe a suspicion that there was aught amiss in the character of the flattering mistress of Santon Mansion.  Her high esteem for Mr. Santon had not permitted her to speak of the sad change, even to her mother.