sed him capable of
speaking of his loss; and perhaps it was the hardest blow of all to find
Violet, whose inquiries she had treated as mere curiosity, preferred to
such confidence as this. She did not remember how she had once rejected
his sympathy. She forgot whose fault it was that she had not been in the
Isle of Wight; she laid it all on the proneness of men to be interested
by sweetness of manner, and thought of herself as a strong-minded
superior woman, who could never be loved, and who could only suffer
through her woman's heart.

Yet she could not entirely harden herself as she intended, while combats
with Percy cast brightening gleams across her existence. She thought
she should again settle into the winter's life of hard work and
indifference, which was on the whole most comfortable to her.

When the party should be broken up, Percy was to be the first to depart;
he was going to publish The Crusaders, take a lodging in London, and
there busy himself with literature while awaiting the fulfilment of a
promise of further diplomatic employment. Arthur and Violet were also to
return home after paying a visit at Rickworth, and John would soon after
sail for Barbuda. In the meantime he was much engaged in going over
accounts, and in consulting with his father and the man of business.

One morning, towards the end of September, he came down to Violet in the
drawing-room, looking much flushed and extremely annoyed.

'Well,' he said, 'I have often declared I would never let my aunt have a
discussion with me again. I have been obliged to submit to this. I hope
it will be the last.'

'About the West Indian property,' said Violet.

'Yes. She does give me power to act for her; but it is dearly bought!
I wish I had never asked her! Every subject that she knew to be most
unpleasant to me has she stirred up! How a woman of her age can go on
with her eyes fixed on these matters I cannot guess. I am sure it is a
warning what one sets one's heart upon!'

'You are quite worried and tired. Oh! it has made you cough! You had
better lie down and rest.'

'I want you to put me into good humour,' said he, half reclining on the
sofa. 'I feel as if I had been under a nutmeg-grater! What do you think
of her taking me to task for having Fotheringham here, for fear he
should marry Theodora! I wish there was any such chance for her; but
Percy has far too much sense!'

'Why, how could Mrs. Nesbit think it? They are always disputing!'