to allude to it. His whole manner altered as he took his hand away from
his nephew's shoulder. But still he was determined that there should
be no quarrel. As yet there was no ground for quarrelling,--and by any
quarrel the injury to him would be much greater than any that could
befall the heir. He stood for a moment and then he spoke again in a tone
very different from that he had used before. "I hope," he said,--and
then he paused again; "I hope you know how very much depends on your
marrying in a manner suitable to your position."

"Quite so;--I think."

"It is the one hope left to me to see you properly settled in life."

"Marriage is a very serious thing, uncle. Suppose I were not to marry at
all! Sometimes I think my brother is much more like marrying than I am."

"You are bound to marry," said the Earl solemnly. "And you are specially
bound by every duty to God and man to make no marriage that will be
disgraceful to the position which you are called upon to fill."

"At any rate I will not do that," said Fred Neville proudly. From this
the Earl took some comfort, and then the interview was over.

On the day appointed by himself Fred left the Manor, and his mother
and brother went on the following day. But after he was gone, on that
same afternoon, Jack Neville asked Sophie Mellerby to be his wife. She
refused him,--with all the courtesy she knew how to use, but also with
all the certainty. And as soon as he had left the house she told Lady
Scroope what had happened.