but I did not think she was looking well. She frets herself too much
about her boys; she does not know what to do with them. They will not
go into the Church, and they have no fortune for the Guards."

"I understood that Lord Plantagenet was to be a civil engineer," said
Lady Corisande.

"And Lord Albert Victor to have a sheep-walk in Australia," continued
Lady St. Jerome.

"They say that a lord must not go to the bar," said Miss Arundel. "It
seems to me very unjust."

"Alfred Beaufort went the circuit," said Lady Corisande, "but I believe
they drove him into Parliament."

"You will miss your friend Bertram at Oxford," said the duchess,
addressing Lothair.

"Indeed," said Lothair, rather confused, for he was himself a defaulter
in collegiate attendance. "I was just going to write to him to see
whether one could not keep half a term."

"Oh! nothing will prevent his taking his degree," said the duchess, "but
I fear there must be some delay. There is a vacancy for our county --
Mr. Sandstone is dead, and they insist upon returning Bertram. I hope
he will be of age before the nomination. The duke is much opposed to
it; he wishes him to wait; but in these days it is not so easy for young
men to get into Parliament. It is not as it used to be; we cannot
choose."