for him because he is all to me; but what am I to him, that he should
sacrifice any pleasure for me? He can break my heart. Were I even to
quarrel with him, the worst I could do would be to send him to the
money-lenders for a year or two."

"But why should he care about his regiment now?"

"Because his regiment means liberty."

"And you won't ask him to give it up?"

"I think not. If I were to ask him I should expect him to yield, and
then I should be disappointed were he to refuse. I do not wish him to
think me a tyrant." This was the end of the conversation, for Lady
Scroope did not as yet dare to speak to the Earl about the widow and her
daughter. She must now try her skill and eloquence with the young man
himself.

The young man arrived and was received with kindest greetings. Two
horses had preceded him, so that he might find himself mounted as soon
as he chose after his arrival, and two others were coming. This was all
very well, but his aunt was a little hurt when he declared his purpose
of going down to the stables just as she told him that Sophia Mellerby
was in the house. He arrived on the 23rd at 4 P.M., and it had been
declared that he was to hunt on the morrow. It was already dark, and
surely he might have been content on the first evening of his arrival to
abstain from the stables! Not a word had been said to Sophie Mellerby
of Lady Scroope's future hopes. Lady Scroope and Lady Sophia would each
have thought that it was wicked to do so. But the two women had been
fussy, and Miss Mellerby must have been less discerning than are young