ome with your sister, Sydney. But,
my dear, they speak in a very poor way of their affairs."

"Oh, Hester spoke to you, did she? Hope told me he must part with his
horse. So Hester spoke to you?"

"Yes: not at all in a melancholy way, however. She keeps up her spirits
wonderfully, poor girl! We really must push them, Mr Grey. I see
nothing but ruin before them, if we do not push them."

"Ah! there is the difficulty: that is where that little enthusiasm of
Hope's comes in. I have a great respect for him; but I own I should
like to see him a little more practical."

"I really am pleased to hear you say so. It is just what I think; and I
always fancied you did not agree with me. It really puts me almost out
of patience to hear him speak of Mr Walcot--encouraging Sydney in his
notions! It is unnatural: it looks a little like affectation--all that
sort of feeling about Mr Walcot."

"I do not object to that, I confess. His thinking fairly of Walcot can
do no harm, and may save mischief, and it looks honourable and well. I
do not regret that, I own. But I think he is clearly wrong in selling
his horse in such a hurry. All Deerbrook will know it directly, and it
will not look well. I offered him such accommodation as would enable
him to keep it; but he is quite obstinate. Some enthusiastic notion of
honour, I suppose--. But I told them that there is no profession or
business in the world that has not its ups and downs."

"Exactly what I told Hester, when she declined having any parties at
present--in the very crisis, in my opinion, when it is of great
consequence that they should get their friends about them. Sophia would
have made the cake, and Alice would have waited at tea. But the fact
is, Mr Hope has put some of his spirit into his wife, and they must
take their own way, I suppose."

"He gave me his reasons, however," observed Mr Grey. "He regards this
as something more than one of the slack times common in his profession.
He will not accept obligation, while he sees no clear prospect of being
able to discharge it. I could not prevail upon him. However, they must
have enough: they cannot be actually pinched. I never saw him in better
spirits. There can be no occasion for our doing anything more than just
being on the look-out to serve them."

"We must push them--that is all we can do. They cannot really be
wanting anything, as you say, such fine spirits as they are in. Hester
looks sweetl