Fred had told his aunt in one of his letters that he would stay three
weeks at Scroope, but she had not supposed that he would limit himself
exactly to that period. No absolute limit had been fixed for the visit
of Mrs. Neville and her younger son, but it was taken for granted that
they would not remain should Fred depart. As to Sophie Mellerby, her
visit was elastic. She was there for a purpose, and might remain all the
winter if the purpose could be so served. For the first fortnight Lady
Scroope thought that the affair was progressing well. Fred hunted three
days a week, and was occasionally away from home,--going to dine with
a regiment at Dorchester, and once making a dash up to London; but his
manner to Miss Mellerby was very nice, and there could be no doubt but
that Sophie liked him. When, on a sudden, the heir said a word to his
aunt which was almost equal to firing a pistol at her head. "I think
Master Jack is making it all square with Sophie Mellerby."

If there was anything that Lady Scroope hated almost as much as improper
marriages it was slang. She professed that she did not understand it;
and in carrying out her profession always stopped the conversation to
have any word explained to her which she thought had been used in an
improper sense. The idea of a young man making it "all square" with a
young woman was repulsive, but the idea of this young man making it "all
square" with this young woman was so much more repulsive, and the misery
to her was so intensely heightened by the unconcern displayed by the
heir in so speaking of the girl with whom he ought to have been making
it "all square" himself, that she could hardly allow herself to be
arrested by that stumbling block. "Impossible!" she exclaimed,--"that is
if you mean,--if you mean,--if you mean anything at all."

"I do mean a good deal."