Vargrave could say no more, for here they were joined by Caroline and
Mrs. Merton; but his manner was changed, nor could he recover the gayety
of the previous night.

When, however, he found time for meditation, he contrived to reconcile
himself to the intended visit. He felt that it was easy to secure the
friendship of the whole of the Merton family; and that friendship might
be more useful to him than the neutral part adopted by Lady Vargrave. He
should, of course, be invited to the rectory; it was much nearer London
than Lady Vargrave's cottage, he could more often escape from public
cares to superintend his private interest. A country neighbourhood,
particularly at that season of the year, was not likely to abound in very
dangerous rivals. Evelyn would, he saw, be surrounded by a _worldly_
family, and he thought that an advantage; it might serve to dissipate
Evelyn's romantic tendencies, and make her sensible of the pleasures of
the London life, the official rank, the gay society that her union with
him would offer as an equivalent for her fortune. In short, as was his
wont, he strove to make the best of the new turn affairs had taken.
Though guardian to Miss Cameron, and one of the trustees for the fortune
she was to receive on attaining her majority, he had not the right to
dictate as to her residence. The late lord's will had expressly and
pointedly corroborated the natural and lawful authority of Lady Vargrave
in all matters connected with Evelyn's education and home. It may be as
well, in this place, to add, that to Vargrave and the co-trustee, Mr.
Gustavus Douce, a banker of repute and eminence, the testator left large
discretionary powers as to the investment of the fortune. He had stated
it as his wish that from one hundred and twenty to one hundred and thirty
thousand pounds should be invested in the purchase of a landed estate;
but he had left it to the discretion of the trustees to increase that
sum, even to the amount of the whole capital, should an estate of