manner of indulgence must be shown him. She quite understood that such a
horse must be ridden with a very light hand. She must put up with slang
from him, though she would resent it from any other human being. He must
be allowed to smoke in his bed-room, to be late at dinner, to shirk
morning prayers,--making her only too happy if he would not shirk Sunday
church also. Of course he must choose a bride for himself,--only not a
Roman Catholic wild Irish bride of whom nobody knew anything!

As to that other matter concerning Jack and Sophie Mellerby, she could
not bring herself to believe it. She had certainly seen that they were
good friends,--as would have been quite fit had Fred been engaged to
her; but she had not conceived the possibility of any mistake on such a
subject. Surely Sophie herself knew better what she was about! How would
she,--she, Lady Scroope,--answer it to Lady Sophia, if Sophie should go
back to Mellerby from her house, engaged to a younger brother who had
nothing but a commission in the Engineers? Sophie had been sent to
Scroope on purpose to be fallen in love with by the heir; and how
would it be with Lady Scroope if, in lieu of this, she should not only
have been fallen in love with by the heir's younger brother, but have
responded favourably to so base an affection?

That same afternoon Fred told his uncle that he was going back to
Ireland on the day but one following, thus curtailing his promised three
weeks by two days. "I am sorry that you are so much hurried, Fred," said
the old man.

"So am I, my lord,--but Johnstone has to go to London on business, and I
promised when I got leave that I wouldn't throw him over. You see,--when
one has a profession one must attend to it,--more or less."