"

"I will approve of anyone that you love; that is--"

"That is, if you love her also; eh, mother?"

"But I rely with such confidence on your taste. I know that you can
like no one that is not ladylike and good."

"Ladylike and good; will that suffice?" said he, thinking of Lucy
Robarts.

"Yes; it will suffice, if you love her. I don't want you to care for
money. Griselda will have a fortune that would have been convenient;
but I do not wish you to care for that." And thus, as they stood
together in Miss Dunstable's crowded room, the mother and son settled
between themselves that the Lufton-Grantly alliance treaty was not
to be ratified. "I suppose I must let Mrs. Grantly know," said Lady
Lufton to herself, as Griselda returned to her side. There had
not been above a dozen words spoken between Lord Dumbello and his
partner, but that young lady also had now fully made up her mind that
the treaty above mentioned should never be brought into operation.

We must go back to our hostess, whom we should not have left for so
long a time, seeing that this chapter is written to show how well
she could conduct herself in great emergencies. She had declared
that after awhile she would be able to leave her position near the
entrance door, and find out her own peculiar friends among the crowd;
but the opportunity for doing so did not come till very late in the
evening. There was a continuation of arrivals; she was wearied to
death with making little speeches, and had more than once declared
that she must depute Mrs. Harold Smith to take her place. That lady
stuck to her through all her labours with admirable constancy, and
made the work bearable. Without some such constancy on a friend's
part, it would have been unbearable; and it must be acknowledged that
this was much to the credit of Mrs. Harold Smith. Her own hopes with
reference to the great heiress had all been shattered, and her answer
had been given to her in very plain language. But, nevertheless,
she was true to her friendship, and was almost as willing to endure
fatigue on the occasion as though she had a sister-in-law's right
in the house. At about one o'clock her brother came. He had not yet
seen Miss Dunstable since the offer had been made, and had now with
difficulty been persuaded by his sister to show himself.

"What can be the use?" said he. "The game is up with me now;"
--meaning, poor ruined ne'er-do-well, not only that that game
with Miss Dunstable was