od of 'avin' riches if you can't enjoy it?' said Mrs Clay
plaintively. 'Look at this lovely 'ouse, with everythin' in it that
mortal man can wish for. W'y, Mrs Haigh was 'ere to-day, and she says
Bucking'am Palace isn't grander, and she's been there.'

'I dare say it isn't,' agreed her brother-in-law.

'Who's talking about Buckingham Palace?' cried Mark Clay, as he came into
the room.

'We were, Mark, and saying that it wasn't any better than your place,'
said his half-brother, as he shook hands with the master of the house.

'Ay, you're right there; as far as money can go you can't beat this
house. But why didn't you coom to dinner, lad?' he cried, his brother's
remark having, as the latter intended, put him in a good humour.

'Lad' in the north-country is as often used as 'man,' especially among
relatives, and Mark Clay used the word in a friendly way, though his
brother was near fifty.

'I had my dinner before I came; but I thought I'd like to have a smoke
and a few minutes' talk with you, Mark,' he replied.

'Sit thee down and have a pipe,' cried Mark Clay.

'Not here,' remonstrated his brother, looking round on the delicate
brocade hangings and furniture.

Poor Mrs Clay did not dare to open her mouth, though she in her secret
heart felt as indignant about it as Mr Howroyd.

But Sarah had no such qualms. 'You'll have to redecorate this room if
you're going to smoke here, and you'll have to find us another
drawing-room. Ladies don't sit in a drawing-room where men smoke,' she
said.

'Daughters sit where their parents tell them, if they're worthy of the
name of daughters.--But, if you don't mind, Mark, we'll go into your
study; we can talk better alone,' said her uncle before Sarah's father
could say anything.

Whether motives of economy moved him, or whether it was a certain
influence which Bill Howroyd, as he was familiarly called, had over most
people, Mark Clay got up from his seat, saying, 'Yes, we'll be better
without that pert lass's company, Bill,' and led the way to his study.

'That's a blessing!' said Sarah. 'A nice state of things it would be if
father took to smoking his horrid pipe here.'

'It would ruin the rose-coloured brocade, and the curtains would smell
'orrid,' said her mother.

'That wouldn't be so bad as not having a single room free from him,' said
Sarah, and then added to her brother, who got up at the time, 'Where are
you going, George?'

'To have a smoke,' he replied.