she would
make no difficulty of parting with the things around her. Of what
concern were the prettinesses of life to one whose inner soul was
hampered with such ugliness? It might be better that they should
live in Manchester Square,--if her father wished it. It was clear
to her now that her husband was in urgent want of money, though of
his affairs, even of his way of making money, she knew nothing. As
that was the case, of course she would consent to any practicable
retrenchment which he would propose. And then she thought of other
coming joys and coming troubles,--of how in future years she might
have to teach a girl falsely to believe that her father was a good
man, and to train a boy to honest purposes whatever parental lessons
might come from the other side.

But the mistake she had made was acknowledged. The man who could
enjoin her to "get round" her father could never have been worthy of
the love she had given him.

CHAPTER XL

"Come and Try It"

The husband was almost jovial when he came home just in time to take
his young wife to dine with their father. "I've had such a day in the
city," he said, laughing. "I wish I could introduce you to my friend,
Mr. Sextus Parker."

"Cannot you do so?"

"Well, no; not exactly. Of course you'd like him because he is such a
wonderful character, but he'd hardly do for your drawing-room. He's
the vulgarest little creature you ever put your eyes on; and yet in a
certain way he's my partner."

"Then I suppose you trust him?"

"Indeed I don't;--but I make him useful. Poor little Sexty! I do
trust him to a degree, because he believes in me and thinks he can
do best by sticking to me. The old saying of 'honour among thieves'
isn't without a dash of truth in it. When two men are in a boat
together they must be true to each other, else neither will get to
the shore."

"You don't attribute high motives to your friend."

"I'm afraid there are not very many high motives in the world, my
girl, especially in the city;--nor yet at Westminster. It can hardly
be from high motives when a lot of men, thinking differently on every
possible subject, come together for the sake of pay and power. I
don't know whether, after all, Sextus Parker mayn't have as high
motives as the Duke of Omnium. I don't suppose any one ever had lower
motives than the Duchess when she chiselled me about Silverbridge.
Never mind;--it'll all be one a hundred years hence. Get ready, for I
want yo