is wife the footing on which he stood,--looking
on her as a mere child, sure to be satisfied, and not requiring to be
consulted.

Theodora gave him tidings of the proposal that he should settle in
the village, and finding him undecided, threw all her weight into the
opposite scale. She sincerely believed she was consulting his happiness
and the harmony of the family by speaking of the irksomeness of living
there with nothing to do, and by assisting him in calculating how large
an income would be necessary to enable him to keep hunters, go from
home, &c., without which he declared it would be intolerable, and
as there was little probability of his father allowing him so much,
continuing in his profession was the only alternative.

Violet saw them in frequent consultation, and once John said something
to her of his hopes of seeing her at Brogden; then, finding her in
ignorance, drew back, but not till he had said enough to make her
restless at hearing no more. She would, of course, have preferred living
in the country; but when she figured to herself Arthur always with
Theodora, and herself shut up in the little parlour she had seen in the
rain, she grew extremely disconsolate.

One morning, unable to read or sit quiet under these anticipations, she
went out to dispel them by a turn among the flowers, and a conversation
with the peacock. At the corner of the lawn, she heard Arthur's
voice--'Exactly so; two thousand is the very least. Ha, Violet!' as he
and Theodora emerged from a shady alley.

'Oh, I did not mean to interrupt you,' said Violet, confused; 'I only
came out for some fresh air.'

'Unbonneted, too, do you want to get roasted brown?' said Arthur.

'I never am burnt,' said Violet; 'but I will not be in your way, I'll
go.'

'Nonsense,' said he, drawing her arm into his. 'Come in good time,' and
he yawned, tired of the discussion. 'Ha, Mr. Peacock, are you there?'

'He always follows me,' said Violet. 'Miss Piper showed me where his
food is kept, and I can almost get him to eat out of my hand.'

Theodora walked off, thinking there was an end of her brother's sense,
and Violet looked after her rather sadly, thinking, while exhibiting to
Arthur her friendship with the peacock, 'he consults her, he only
plays with me. Perhaps it is all I am good for; but I wish we were at
Winchester.'

As Theodora went up-stairs, she saw her eldest brother standing at the
south window of the gallery. He called to her, say