, and general
enlargement of expenditure made immense inroads, it must be allowed,
into the additional income brought by Clarence Copperhead. The first
quarter's payment was spent, and more than spent, before it came. The
money that was to be laid up for that bill of Tozer's--perhaps--had now
no saving peradventure left in it; for the second half would not be due
till two months after the Tozer bill, and would but be half, even if
procurable at once. Mr. May felt a slight shock while this gleamed
across his mind, but only for a moment. There was still a month, and a
month is a long time, and in the mean time James was almost certain to
send something, and his Easter offerings might, probably would, this
year be something worth having. Why they should be better than usual
this year Mr. May did not explain to himself; his head was a little
turned it must be supposed by the momentary chance of having more money
in his hands than he used to have. Already he had got into the habit of
ordering what he wanted somewhat recklessly, without asking himself how
the things he ordered were to be paid for, and, as so often happened,
followed up that first tampering with the rules of right and wrong by a
general recklessness of the most dangerous kind. He was not so much
alone as he had been; his house, in which he was infinitely more amiable
than of old, had become more pleasant to him; he liked his life better.
His son was independent with an income of his own, and therefore he felt
much more respect for him, and treated him as a companion. His daughter
had developed, if not in the way of _entrees_, a talent for dinners
which raised her very much in his eyes; and naturally the regard shown
to her by the visitors reacted upon Mr. May, though it had not crossed
his mind as yet that any one could be in love with Ursula. All this made
him happier in spite of himself. When you begin to esteem and be proud
of your children your life is naturally happier than when you scoff and
jeer at them, and treat them as creatures of inferior mould to yourself.
Mr. May found out all at once that Reginald was a fine young fellow,
that Ursula was pretty and pleasant, and that droll Janey, with her
elf-locks and angles, was amusing at least, if no more. As for the
little ones, they were considerably thrust into a corner when the elder
youth forced itself into the front. They learned their lessons in
corners, and had their tea by themselves, and were much hu