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Jane, skilfully extricating the face-à-main from the Rapunzel net in which it had become involved, asked why writers shouldn't be grandmothers.

"I can't imagine," said Mrs. Morland with an air of great candour, "for if they have grandchildren it stands to reason they must be grandmothers. But people will write to me as Miss Morland, a thing I never was, and probably if they know I have grandchildren they think they are illegitimate. But there is one very good thing," she added, earnestly, putting on the spectacles from the red case as she spoke, "which is that Henry, my husband you know, died such a long time ago, because I do not think he would have understood my grandchildren in the least. He did not really understand his own boys--not that I do either, but that is so different--and I used to think it would really have been far better if he had died before the boys were born instead of after, because it would have simplified everything."

Jane said that if Mr. Morland had died before his boys were born, he might not have had any.