y coffee as well as buy
shares?"

"Does she buy shares?"

"By George, Emily, I think that you're a fool."

"I dare say I am, Ferdinand. I do not in the least know what it all
means. But I do know this, that you ought not, in papa's absence, to
ask people to dine here whom he particularly dislikes, and whom he
would not wish to have in his house."

"You think that I am to be governed by you in such a matter as that?"

"I do not want to govern you."

"You think that a wife should dictate to a husband as to the way in
which he is to do his work, and the partners he may be allowed to
have in his business, and the persons whom he may ask to dinner!
Because you have been dictating to me on all these matters. Now, look
here, my dear. As to my business, you had better never speak to me
about it any more. I have endeavoured to take you into my confidence
and to get you to act with me, but you have declined that, and have
preferred to stick to your father. As to my partners, whether I may
choose to have Sexty Parker or Lady Eustace, I am a better judge
than you. And as to asking Mrs. Leslie and Lady Eustace or any other
persons to dinner, as I am obliged to make even the recreations of
life subservient to its work, I must claim permission to have my own
way." She had listened, but when he paused she made no reply. "Do you
mean to do as I bid you and ask these ladies?"

"I cannot do that. I know that it ought not to be done. This is
papa's house, and we are living here as his guests."

"D---- your papa!" he said as he burst out of the room. After a
quarter of an hour he put his head again into the room and saw her
sitting, like a statue, exactly where he had left her. "I have
written the notes both to Lady Eustace and to Mrs. Leslie," he said.
"You can't think it any sin at any rate to ask your aunt."

"I will see my aunt," she said.

"And remember I am not going to be your father's guest, as you call
it. I mean to pay for the dinner myself, and to send in my own wines.
Your father shall have nothing to complain of on that head."

"Could you not ask them to Richmond, or to some hotel?" she said.

"What; in October! If you think that I am going to live in a house in
which I can't invite a friend to dinner, you are mistaken." And with
that he took his departure.

The whole thing had now become so horrible to her that she felt
unable any longer to hold up her head. It seemed to her to be
sacrilege that these women sh