,--without
his luncheon,--that he might consider it all. Clara Amedroz had now
no home,--and, indeed, very little means of providing one. If he
intended that she should be his wife, he must furnish her with a home
at once. It seemed to him that three houses might possibly be open to
her,--of which one, the only one which under such circumstances would
be proper, was Aylmer Park. The other two were Plaistow Hall and Mrs.
Askerton's cottage at Belton. As to the latter,--should she ever take
shelter there, everything must be over between him and her. On that
point there could be no doubt. He could not bring himself to marry
a wife out of Mrs. Askerton's drawing-room, nor could he expect his
mother to receive a young woman brought into the family under such
circumstances. And Plaistow Hall was almost as bad. It was as bad to
him, though it would, perhaps, be less objectionable in the eyes of
Lady Aylmer. Should Clara go to Plaistow Hall there must be an end to
everything. Of that also he taught himself to be quite certain. Then
he took out Clara's letter and read it again. She acknowledged the
story about the woman to be true,--such a story as it was too,--and
yet refused to quarrel with the woman;--had absolutely promised the
woman not to quarrel with her! Then he read and re-read the passage
in which Clara claimed the right of forming her own opinion in such
matters. Nothing could be more indelicate;--nothing more unfit for
his wife. He began to think that he had better show the letter to
his mother, and acknowledge that the match must be broken off. That
softening of his heart which had followed upon the receipt of the
telegraphic message departed from him as he dwelt upon the stubborn,
stiff-necked, unfeminine obstinacy of the letter. Then he remembered
that nothing had as yet been done towards putting his aunt's fifteen
hundred pounds absolutely into Clara's hands; and he remembered also
that she might at the present moment be in great want. William Belton
might, not improbably, assist her in her want, and this idea was
wormwood to him in spite of his almost formed resolution to give up
his own claims. He calculated that the income arising from fifteen
hundred pounds would be very small, and he wished that he had
counselled his aunt to double the legacy. He thought very much
about the amount of the money and the way in which it might be best
expended, and was, after his cold fashion, really solicitous as to
Clara's wel