tried the novel, and he had tried Huggins v. the Trustees of the
Charity of St Ambox, a case of undeniable importance in which he
was engaged on the part of Huggins, but neither was sufficiently
powerful to divert his thoughts. Throughout the morning he was
imagining what he would say to Emily about this lover of hers,--
in what way he would commence the conversation, and how he would
express his own opinion should he find that she was in any degree
favourable to the man. Should she altogether ignore the man's
pretensions, there would be no difficulty. But if she hesitated,
--if, as was certainly possible, she should show any partiality
for the man, then there would be a knot which would required
untying. Hitherto the intercourse between the father and
daughter had been simple and pleasant. He had given her
everything she had asked for, and she had obeyed him in all the
very few matters as to which he had demanded obedience.
Questions of discipline, as far as there had been any discipline,
had generally been left to Mrs Roby. Mrs Roby was to dine at
Manchester Square to-day, and perhaps it would be well that he
should have a few words with Mrs Roby before he spoke to his
daughter.

Mrs Roby had a husband, but Mr Roby had not been asked to dine in
the Square on this occasion. Mrs Roby dined in the Square very
often, but Mr Roby very seldom,--not probably above once a year,
on some special occasion. He and Mr Wharton had married sisters,
but they were quite unlike in character, and had never become
friends. Mrs Wharton had been nearly twenty years younger than
her sister; and Mr Roby a year or two younger than his wife. The
two men therefore belonged to different periods of life, Mr Roby
at the present time being a florid youth of forty. He had a